{"response":{"docs":[{"id":"dlg_ggpd_928937116-2022","title":"Law Enforcement Division 2022 annual report.","collection_id":"dlg_ggpd","collection_title":"Georgia Government Publications","dcterms_contributor":null,"dcterms_spatial":["United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018"],"dcterms_creator":["Georgia. Department of Natural Resources (1972- ). Law Enforcement Division, author."],"dc_date":["2022"],"dcterms_description":["Description based on: FY 2013 (online surrogate); title from PDF cover (Georgia Government Publications database, viewed November 12, 2015).","Latest issue consulted: FY 2015."],"dc_format":["application/pdf"],"dcterms_identifier":null,"dcterms_language":["eng"],"dcterms_publisher":["[Social Circle, Georgia] : [Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division], [2013]-"],"dc_relation":null,"dc_right":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dcterms_is_part_of":null,"dcterms_subject":["Georgia.--Department of Natural Resources (1972- ).--Law Enforcement Division--Periodicals.","Georgia.--Department of Natural Resources (1972- ).--Law Enforcement Division--fast","Wildlife management--Law and legislation--Georgia--Periodicals.","Recreation areas--Georgia--Periodicals.","Recreation areas","Wildlife management--Law and legislation","Georgia","Georgia Government Documents--Serial"],"dcterms_title":["Law Enforcement Division 2022 annual report."],"dcterms_type":["Text"],"dcterms_provenance":["University of Georgia. Map and Government Information Library"],"edm_is_shown_by":["https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:dlg_ggpd_928937116-2022"],"edm_is_shown_at":["https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:dlg_ggpd_928937116-2022"],"dcterms_temporal":null,"dcterms_rights_holder":null,"dcterms_bibliographic_citation":null,"dlg_local_right":null,"dcterms_medium":["state government records"],"dcterms_extent":null,"dlg_subject_personal":null,"iiif_manifest_url_ss":null,"dcterms_subject_fast":null,"fulltext":"Commissioner Mark Williams \n \nDirector Colonel Thomas \nBarnard \n \n Headquarters \n \nColonel Thomas Barnard, Director \n \nMajor Stephen Adams \n \nLt. Colonel Mike England, Assistant Director \n2 \n \nMajor Bob Holley \n \n Headquarters Support Staff \n \nLt. Wayne Hubbard \n \nLt. Wanda Roberts \n \nLt. Judd Smith \n \nKim Cato \n \nJen Hammonds \n \nJamie Hawkins \n \nMark McKinnon \n \nAshley Moon \n \nTaye Pierce \n \nSharon Sims \n \nShannon Witcher \n3 \n \n The Vision of the Law Enforcement Division is to ensure that Georgia's natural resources will be conserved for our present and future generations. The Mission of the Law Enforcement Division is to conserve our natural resources and to protect the people we serve. We maintain public support through fair and vigorous law enforcement, quality education, and community involvement. We commit ourselves to our Vision and Mission by practicing our core beliefs, which are trust, fairness, and professionalism. \nHeadquarters \nThe Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division, currently has 190 POST-certified Game Wardens with statewide authority and full arrest powers and 26 non-sworn staff members. The primary duties of these Game Wardens are enforcement of all laws and regulations pertaining to hunting, fishing, commercial fishing, environmental violations, and recreational boating, as well as to provide public safety on all our DNR-controlled properties. The Law Enforcement Division operates with a straight-line chain of command. It consists of the Colonel, Lt. Colonel, two Majors, eight Captains (6 Region Supervisors, 1 Training Director, 1 Pilot), seven Lieutenants (database management, special permits/captive wildlife and wild animals, boating law administrator and administrative support, professional standards, investigations, 2 pilots), and 171 field Game Wardens (Sergeants, Corporals, Game Wardens First Class, and Game Wardens). \n4 \n \n Vehicles \u0026 Equipment Throughout the year, the Law Enforcement Division acquired some new vehicles and equipment, utilizing funding from various sources. Ten new 4x4 Ford patrol vehicles, five KIA SUVs, and one UTV for the coastal region were purchased this past year. New equipment included the riot gear and riot gas masks for select personnel. The Division is also updating all the ATVs, adding lights and kill switches. \nRanger Hotline The Ranger Hotline program, which provides a way for citizens to report anonymously potentially illegal wildlife and other conservation law violations, continues to be successful. If the information leads to an arrest, the tipster receives a cash reward funded by the Georgia Natural Resource Foundation, whose mission is to protect wildlife by increasing public support for wildlife law enforcement. Last year, 320 tips were received for various violations. \nOTHER SPECIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUES \nCrime Suppression This past fiscal year the illegal street racing and crime in the City of Atlanta has improved with the multi-agency crime suppression effort. Governor Brian Kemp initiated this collaborative effort last year between the Department of Natural Resources, Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Atlanta Police Department, Fulton County Sheriff's Office, and the City of South Fulton, to assist in the city on weekends with the objective of cracking down on criminal activity and illegal street racing in and around Atlanta. Since its inception in early 2021, the operation has logged 31,214 vehicle stops, 743 pursuits, 709 DUIs, 589 wanted persons, 558 reckless driving, 159 stolen guns, 21,092 citations/arrests, 1,638 impounded vehicles, 24,363 warnings, and 275 drug arrests. Game Wardens from across the state continue to be deployed on Saturdays and Sundays for this operation. \nJEA Patrols The Joint Agreement #19 between Georgia DNR and NOAA Office of Law Enforcement called for GADNR enforcement personnel to provide a total of 1,604 hours of marine law enforcement or related work under the agreement. Georgia has 5 Execution Priorities. They are Endangered Species, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, National Marine Sanctuaries Act, Marine Mammal Right Whale, and Lacey Act/International (IUU). \nVessel patrol hours targeted the following areas: 1) shrimp trawlers checking for TED compliance, 2) intercepts of recreational and commercial fishing vessels returning to Georgia seaports from fishing trips in federal waters, 3) offshore patrols to Special Management Zones and Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, 4) concentrations of fishing vessels wherever they occur in the Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent to the State of Georgia, 5) intercepts of recreational fishing vessels for Red Snapper compliance, and 6) Inspection of shipping container at the Georgia Ports. These patrols resulted in 6 state charges and 12 Federal Cases sent to NOAA OLE. \n5 \n \n Public Affairs Media Relations and Public Outreach As the COVID-19 pandemic continued, media news conferences and ride-alongs with Game Wardens were limited. News releases, radio and TV interviews, and social media posts were the primary information channels for the start of the boating and hunting seasons, \"Operation Dry Water,\" and the July 4th Holiday weekend to promote safe boating and swimming safety and to educate citizens on boating laws and how they are applied. Additionally, news releases, I \u0026 E presentations and speeches to various civic groups, and regular news media interviews and interaction were utilized throughout the year to disseminate information to the public on the Division's hunting, fishing, and boating enforcement efforts, and awards and recognitions received by game wardens. Social Media LED manages a Facebook page that is over 76,000 page \"Likes\" (people who regularly view the page). Many of LED's Facebook posts have a \"Reach\" (number of people who may see the post through their friends who \"Like\" the page) that exceeds 100,000, and occasionally, some are above 500,000. The Division also has an Instagram account with over 7,500 followers, a Twitter account that currently has over 1,700 followers, and a YouTube Channel with multiple safety-related videos that has over 600 subscribers. \n6 \n \n Previous Game Wardens of the Year \n \nWilliam Powell W.D. Hill, Jr. Michael Bone William Vickers Dan Parrish Ronald Bailey Ralph Sheppard Roger D. Garrison James McDaniel Doug Lewis Terry West W. Howard Hensley, Jr. Dennis Aderholt Bill Bunch Arvid Edwards Mitchell H. Yeargin Jeff Weaver Mike Commander Phillip Scott Stanley Elrod Rick Sellars \n \n1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 \n \nDavid Ruddell Derek Dillard Mike Barr Harry E. Akins Eric Brown John Murphy Shane Sartor Mike Binion Brian Hobbins Cindy Miller Timothy Butler Jason Roberson David Webb Greg Wade Casey Jones Eddie Tompkins Brian Adams Cody Jones Quinn Fogle Ryan Locke John Rhodes \n \n2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 \n \n7 \n \n Region I- Acworth \nFront Row, L to R: GWFC 1 Ryan Shorter, SGT Ben Cunningham, CPL Kalem Burns, GWFC 1 Steven Martinez, CPL Daniel Gray, SGT Keith Waddell, GW 2 Andrew Crider, GW 2 Hunter Bowman, CPL Russell Epps, CAPT James McLaughlin, GW 1 Chandler Traylor, CPL Zack Hardy, GW 2 David Wright, GWFC 1 Travis Shrader, CPL Tyler Lewis, SGT Byron Young, CPL Philip Stout, GW 2 Stetson Stevens, GW 2 Hunter Rush, GW 2 Kyle Faulknor Back Row, L to R: SGT Bart Hendrix, SGT Eric Brown, GW 2 Bo Townsend, GW 2 Austin Biggers, GW 1 Tim Bledsoe, SGT James Keener, GW 1 Amy King, GWFC 2 Mark Moyer, CPL Roger McConkey, CPL Chad Cox. Not Pictured: CPL Brock Hoyt, GWFC 1 Charles Follin, GWFC 1 Ryan Thomas, GW 2 Jason Warren, GW Caleb Schacher \nRegion I is comprised of 28 Northwest Georgia counties and includes the City of Atlanta and surrounding metro counties. Captain James McLaughlin is the Region Supervisor and Sergeant Bart Hendrix is the Administrative Sergeant. The Administrative Assistant is Joyce Holland and Sherry Rollins fills the Administration support position. Joyce Holland received the Administrative Specialist of the Year Award for the State. \nThe \"Mountain Work Section\" is comprised of Catoosa, Gilmer, Gordon, Murray, Pickens, and Whitfield Counties. Section assignments are as follows: GW Travis Shrader  Catoosa, Cpl. Kalem Burns  Gilmer, Cpl. Roger McConkey  Gordon, GW Ryan Thomas  Murray, GW Caleb Schacher  Pickens, GW David Wright  Whitfield, GW Hunter Rush  Fort Mt. State Park, and supervisory Sgt. James Keener. The section covers a vast area of both state owned or controlled properties as well as large expanses of National Forest Lands. Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the section include Rich Mt., Cartecay Tract, Cohutta, Coosawattee, Carter's Lake Tract, Conasauga River, John's Mt., and McEntire VPA. Wardens also patrol the section's main body of water, Carter's Lake, as well as many other smaller impoundments, rivers, and creeks. State Parks and Historic Sites in the section include Fort Mt., Chief Vann House, New Echota, and Resaca Battlefield. \nGW Roger McConkey was promoted to Cpl. and transferred from Chattooga County to Gordon County. GW Kalem Burns was promoted to Cpl. in Gilmer County. GW Mark Moyer transferred from Whitfield to Chattooga County. GW David Wright transferred to Whitfield County. GW Hunter Rush transferred to Fort Mt. State Park. GW Caleb Schacher was assigned to Pickens County with the resignation of GW Will Smith. \n8 \n \n (Left) Cpl. Kalem Burns and a Pickens County Deputy with a deer that was shot from the road. (Right) Corporals Kalem Burns and Roger McConkey and Captain Turner after an extraction on Lake Russell WMA. \nDeer mounts taken during an investigation where multiple Georgia residents committed hunting violations in Kentucky. \n9 \n \n GW Mark Moyer was presented with the Elk's Lodge State Award for Public Safety Officer of the Year. \nSergeant Eric Brown supervises the Counties of Haralson, Paulding, Douglas, Carroll, Coweta, and Fulton. The Game Wardens assigned to the section are Corporals Daniel Gray and Zack Hardy, GWs Brock Hoyt and Ryan Shorter with GW Chandler Traylor joining the section after graduating the academy in June. GW Garrett Pownall resigned and took a job with the fire department. Cpl. Daniel Gray was the recipient of the Georgia DNR National Wild Turkey Federation Officer of the Year this past year. During his regular duties, Cpl. Gray worked on an extensive investigation stemming from one individual that harvested over his limit of gobblers for that season. During the investigation Game Wardens discovered that three other individuals had failed to record their deer harvest in 2020 and one individual had failed to record his turkey harvest in 2021, all four individuals were cited for the violations. 19 total violations were discovered during the investigation. GW Brock Hoyt was recipient of the TORCH award and named International Crime Stoppers Game Warden of the Year and was recognized in Vermont for his achievements. Sgt. Eric Brown and Game Warden Ryan Shorter hosted the 16th annual Carroll County Outdoor Camp. During this camp, youth between the ages of 13-16 had the opportunity to experience various outdoor activities. Youths received instruction and had the opportunity to get their Hunter Safety Certificate and their Boat Georgia Certificate. Students were also taught how to safely use various types of firearms and bows and learn about various types of watercrafts. The camp was a great success and a big thanks to Carrollton Parks and REC, Carroll County Sheriff's office, Carrollton PD, Carroll County Fire and Rescue and all the volunteers for their help. This past camp was in Honor of Deputy Chief Tommy Hopson, who was missed deeply this year. Not only was he the heart and soul of the camp, but a great instructor and a passionate outdoorsman. Rest easy friend! \n10 \n \n Sergeant Keith Waddell's section consists of Meriwether, Troup, Heard, Pike, Fayette, Spalding, Henry, and Clayton Counties. The Game Wardens in this work unit patrol West Point Lake along with sections of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. Several state-owned properties are also located within the work section including 3 Wildlife Management Areas, and 2 State Parks. Game Wardens assigned to this work unit are, Game Warden Charles Follin, Game Warden Austin Biggers, Game Warden Hunter Bowman, Corporal Russell Epps, and Game Warden Bo Townsend. \nGame Warden First Class Austin Biggers has been assigned to Pike County since June 25th, 2021. This year GW Biggers has completed training to become a Defensive Tactics Instructor for the Department. On 02/14/2022, Game Warden Austin Biggers was notified of an incident regarding \nan unlawfully possessed raccoon. The subject contacted the Region 1 Wildlife Resources Division office and informed them that they were in possession of a raccoon with a possible injury but would not divulge their address. Game Warden Austin Biggers was able to gather the provided information and work with the DNR investigative unit to identify the subject's address. On 02/17/2022, Game Warden Austin Biggers and WRD Technician Matthew Leo responded to the subject's address and seize the unlawfully held Raccoon. The animal was taken to AWARE Wildlife Center for rehabilitation. \nGame Warden Hunter Bowman completed the Game Warden academy in July 2020 and is currently assigned to Troup County. In 2022, Game Warden Bowman was nominated and received the Region 1 nomination for Investigation Game Warden of the Year Award due to a notable case included a lengthy investigation involving a commercial trash collection truck dumping and egregious amount of waste on private property. He was able to identify and arrest two individuals for misdemeanor high and aggravated dumping charges. \n11 \n \n Game Warden Bo Townsend transferred to the section in November 2021. Since that time GW Townsend was nominated and received the Region 1 awards for Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award and the Region 1 Torch award. Notable cases made include 9 persons apprehended for hunting deer at night (25 total hunting deer at night related charges). Pictured left is GW Townsend with a Whitetail Buck he seized in a hunting deer at night case. \nCorporal Russell Epps was promoted to Corporal during the year and is assigned to Heard County. He is currently a member of the Critical Incident Reconstruction Team and is a certified POST Instructor. At the academy, Corporal Epps teaches Emergency Vehicle Operations, Use of Force, Wildlife, and officer Water Survival. Pictured right is Game Wardens working crowd control at the West Point Lake Dragon Boat Race. \nSergeant Ben Cunningham supervises the Counties of Dade, Walker, Chattooga, Floyd, and Polk. During the last year, Cpl. Daniel Gray (Floyd County), GWFC Stetson Stevens (Dade County), and GWFC Mark Moyer (Chattooga County) joined the work section. GWFC Andrew Crider became part of the new DNR LED recruiting team. \nGWFC Kyle Faulknor worked hard on Johns Mountain WMA during this period, which netted him multiple felony drug cases. GWFC Stevens made 12 cases on the new Charles B. Henson VPA during turkey season. He confiscated two illegally killed birds during his patrols there. Cpl. Chad Cox apprehended and arrested a repeat offender in Floyd County during deer season. The subject was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of meth, and hunting deer w/o orange. \nCpl. Byron Young, who transferred due to being promoted, and Sgt. Ben Cunningham received a hunting complaint during deer season. During their investigation, game wardens were able to locate the rifles the convicted felons had hidden. The hunters were charged with possession of firearms by convicted felons, hunting w/o a license, hunting w/o a big game license, and hunting deer w/o orange. \n12 \n \n GWFC Stevens completed the following training: DRE Training, Defensive Tactics Instructor Training, Alert Instructor, Taser Instructor, Gas Mask Instructor, and began CIRT Training. Cpl. Chad Cox was the Region 1 Hunter Education Officer of the Year. GWFC Faulknor was Dade/Trenton's DNR law enforcement recipient at the Optimist Club's Annual Awards Banquet, and GW Carla Gann resigned from LED. Byron Young was promoted to Sergeant and supervises the Allatoona section of the Region which includes Lake Allatoona, and the Counties of Bartow, Cherokee and Cobb. The section includes Corporals Tyler Lewis and Phillip Stout and Game Wardens Steven Martinez and Jason Warren. Tim Bledsoe and Amy King joined the ranks after graduating the Academy in June. \nIllegally taken bucks seized by Corporal Tyler Lewis for a night hunting case. The investigation concluded with a total of 34 violations including: 7 separate cases of hunting without permission, hunting without a license and hunting without a big game license, 4 cases of hunting deer at night, hunting from a public road and hunting from a motor vehicle and 1 case of failure to record harvest. \nCorporal Tyler Lewis was named the James Darnell Award winner and Corporal Phillip Stout was named the Boating Officer of the Year for the State. Game Warden Steven Martinez and Cpl. Tyler Lewis witnessed an overloaded vessel capsize on Lake Allatoona. They we able to quickly get to the boat and began throwing flotation to the people in the water and began getting them onto their boat. All eight people on board, including small children and a dog were rescued. If it weren't for the actions of Game Warden Martinez and Cpl. Lewis, the situation would have ended a lot worse for the family. \n13 \n \n Region II- Gainesville \nFront Row, L-R: Sgt. Casey Jones, GW Cody Tanner, GW Adam Kimbrough, Cpl. Shane Brown, Cpl. Craig Fulghum, Sgt. Adam Loudermilk, GW TR Dooley, GW Savannah Miller, GW Matt Kiracofe, Captain Derek Dillard, GW Bryan Price, GW Ethan Franklin, GW Phillip Nelson, GW Jason Harrison, Sgt. Cody Jones, GW Spencer Palmer, Cpl. Anne Wiley. Back Row, L-R: Sgt. Jason Roberson, GW Ryan Locke, GW Kevin Goss, Cpl. Tim Butler, GW Brandon Pierce, GW Noah Osborne, GW Joseph Cowart, Cpl. Matt Johnson, GW Taylor Gilmore, Cpl. Joe Hill, GW Jeffery Turner, Sgt. Brooks Varnell. Not pictured: AOC Brenda Tanner, Secretary Tasha Lamb, Cpl. Dan Schay, Cpl. Beth Gilbert, Sgt. Tim Vickery, GW Jared Wood, GW Mark Stephens \nThe Gainesville Region is comprised of 26 Northeast Georgia Counties which include part of the metro Atlanta area. Within these counties are 10 major impoundments, three major rivers, 16 Wildlife Management Areas, 220 miles of trout streams, 23 State Park Properties, and 328,500 acres of National Forest lands. Lake Lanier The Lake Lanier work section is comprised of Hall, Forsyth, Jackson, and Banks counties and all of Lake Sidney Lanier. The Section members include Game Warden First Class Ryan Locke, Game Warden First Class Kevin Goss, Game Warden Adam Kimbrough, Corporal Beth Gilbert, Corporal Dan Schay, Sgt. Jason Roberson, and newly hired Game Warden Cody Tanner. The section has continued to be very busy where it has worked 6 drownings, 32 boating incidents, two of which were fatalities, and produced more than one hundred arrests for boating under the influence during this period. Dawson County In April of 2022 Game Wardens Ryan Locke, Savannah Miller, Kevin Goss, and Adam Kimbrough partnered with Dawson County High School's Ag Mechanics Class to construct Wood Duck Boxes. The officers met with the students at War Hill Park to set the boxes in select areas of the lake. \n14 \n \n Hall County \n \nIn December of 2021 Game Warden Ryan Locke received a tip that a potential county record buck had been killed possibly without permission. He responded to the area with Game Warden Goss and began an investigation. They located the area that the deer had been killed in and were able to determine that the hunter had indeed trespassed without permission and killed the deer. The property that he had permission to hunt was only  acre and had a yard that was entirely fenced in with a six-foot privacy fence. The hunter pled guilty to hunting without permission and hunting over bait. \n \nIn May of 2022 Game Wardens Locke, Kimbrough, and Roberson were patrolling Lake Lanier when they each smelled a strong odor of marijuana as a boat passed by their location. They also noticed that the boat was not displaying registration. The occupants of the vessel began to act suspiciously, and the Wardens stopped the vessel to address the registration and to conduct a safety inspection. During the inspection, they continued to smell a strong odor of marijuana and a passenger in the front of the boat became nervous. After a brief conversation, the passenger handed a backpack that contained more than one pound of marijuana to the officers. He was charged with felony possession of Marijuana. \nOn 12/09/2021, GWFC Ethan Franklin and Cpl. Joe Hill responded to a Habersham County, hunting without permission complaint. Upon arrival, a subject was observed at his truck with a white tail buck laying in the bed of the vehicle. After a brief investigation, the subject was identified as the one hunting without permission. He also had an active warrant for his arrest, he was a convicted felon who was in possession of two firearms (rifle and pistol), and he was in possession of methamphetamine and drug related objects. The suspect was arrested on the warrant and charged with hunting without permission, failure to record deer harvest, hunting deer without fluorescent orange, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug related objects, and two counts of possession of firearm by convicted felon. GW Jared Wood arrived on scene with K-9 Judge and they tracked up the suspect's hunting partner. After Game Wardens observed the hunter's behavior, GW Wood put him through SFSTs, which resulted in his arrest for hunting under the influence. The hunter was also charged for hunting deer without fluorescent orange. \n \n15 \n \n On October 2, Sgt. Tim Vickery, Cpl. Joe Hill, GWFC Ethan Franklin, and GWFC Jared Wood conducted a wildlife checkpoint on Chattahoochee WMA during the dog/bear hunt. The Game Wardens dealt with several hunting violations at the checkpoint. During the checkpoint, Game Wardens heard gunshots up the road from their location. Looking down the road approximately 100 yards, they observed a group of hunters, that just came through the checkpoint, standing on the side of the road shooting a firearm at a bear. Two citations were issued for hunting within 50 yards of a WMA road. Later in the week of the Chattahoochee WMA bear/dog hunt, Cpl. Anne Wiley responded to a complaint of hunters running bear on Smithgall Woods State Park. Cpl. Wiley charged two subjects with criminal trespass on a state park. \nCpl. Kevin Godbee received a complaint of Great Blue Herons being shot and killed in Newton County. Cpl. Godbee contacted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and began investigating the case. After obtaining evidence and interviewing the suspect with USFW agents, the suspect was charged with the taking of a protected species and theft by taking wildlife. \nGW Taylor Gilmore received a picture of a possible illegal buck on Facebook. Gilmore interviewed the suspect and was able to prove the buck was taken from an affidavit property in Gwinnett County. She also found that the suspect's girlfriend had also shot a deer on the same day in the same location. She walked the Gwinnett County property and found the kill sites, blood trails, as well as tire tracks where the truck pulled in to load the deer. Through the investigation, Gilmore found out that the suspect was hunting without permission on a property that had an affidavit on it. Later in the evening, the suspect's girlfriend came to pick him up when they saw a buck across the road on the same property in the power cut. They pulled the truck up into the power cut and the girlfriend shot the second deer right before dark. She was able to bring several charges against both subjects which included hunting without permission, theft by taking of wildlife, hunting without orange, recording, and reporting requirements, and both deer were confiscated. \nIn Fannin County, Cpl. Cody Jones completed an investigation, 4/14/20  9/3/21, and issued eight arrest warrants for a North Carolina resident with two counts of non-resident license, two counts non-resident hunting without a big game license, two counts of hunting without permission, one count of hunting turkey over bait, and one count of possession of big game without a big game license. The suspect also had outstanding warrants from Fannin County. Cpl. Jones and GW Jeffery Turner seized a turkey beard, spurs, and six bear claws during a search warrant. \nCpl. Cody Jones completed an investigation with 46 violations that include harvest record violations, hunting big game over bait, hunting without orange, hunting without permission, taking over the limit of turkeys, theft by taking, interference w/ gov property, criminal trespass, and hunting turkey out of season. Cpl. Jones, Sgt. Casey Jones, and GW Bryan Price seized seven turkey beards, a stolen U.S. Forest Service sign, a stolen trail camera SD card, and two deer racks during a search warrant of a residence. \n16 \n \n Cpl. Cody Jones also completed an investigation that resulted in four search warrants being served for multiple suspects' Snap Chat accounts, phone data, residence, and illegal deer processor's residence. A total of nine suspects were charged with eighty-two violations, in three Georgia Counties. Three of those suspects were also charged in Illinois with eleven additional violations, stemming from evidence that was turned over from Georgia. Game Wardens seized fifteen deer racks, one turkey, one U.S. Forest Service sign, and a one taxidermized owl. \nOn February 18th, 2022, Cpl. Shane Brown was called to assist the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office with a stolen boat. It was discovered the boat was stolen out of Hall County on Lake Lanier. The HIN number was replaced with a HIN from a different manufacture and much older boat. The subject also changed the decals to match the replaced HIN. The subject had been arrested two times within a 3-month period for stolen items and was arrested again that day by Lumpkin County Investigators and Cpl. Brown. \nOn September 13, 2021, Game Warden First Cass Jeffery Turner was checking an area on United States Forest Service property in Union County. While checking the area GW Turner located an area that had been baited. The baited area consisted of pits in the ground filled with grain and covered with heavy logs, and liquid attractant in jugs hanging from tree limbs about 6-7 foot off the ground. After locating the hunters and interviewing them about the bait site, both individuals were charged with illegal baiting of bears. \nOn November 23, 2021, Game Warden First Class Jeffery Turner was checking the online harvest record system for deer harvested in Towns County. While looking at the report GWFC Turner noticed where two hunters had bought the proper license and minutes later had game checked two 8-point bucks. After a brief investigation and interview with the two subjects it was found that the two deer were harvested before the proper license were obtained. Both individuals were charged with Hunting without a license, and Hunting without a big game license. Both 8-point bucks where confiscated. \nOn November 27, 2021, CPL. Shane Brown and GWFC Jeffery Turner were working a night hunting complaint in the northern part of Union County. While working the complaint both game wardens observed a vehicle using the headlights of the vehicle to illuminate the fields on both sides of the road. Game Warden Turner performed a traffic stop on the vehicle. After a short investigation both subject of the vehicle was charged with, hunting deer at night, hunting from a motor vehicle, and hunting big game at night. \n17 \n \n On February 12, 2022, Game Warden First Class Jeffery Turner received a phone call from Towns County 911 in reference to a black bear that had possibly been shot. Once on scene GWFC Turner located and assessed the kill site. He located a crossbow bolt with dried blood on the shaft and broad head. GWFC Turner also located a blood trail that led back to a residence. After contacting the suspect at the residence, he conducted a short investigation, and the suspect was charged with taking of bear out of season. \nOn December 4th, 2021, GWFC Matt Johnson, GWFC Jeffery Turner and Sgt Casey Jones participated in a joint night hunting detail with North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission. This multi-state effort was a result of several complaints in both states. GWFC Johnson overserved a vehicle shine a field that is partially in both states. After North Carolina finished their investigation, GWFC Johnson conducted his investigation. They were each issued citations for hunting big game from a public road, hunting from a motor vehicle, hunting deer at night, and nonresident hunting without a license. \nOn April 2nd, Sgt. Casey Jones and Cpl. Cody Jones came to assist GWFC Matt Johnson with a baited area. Two subjects were located with a freshly killed turkey. It was also discovered that a turkey was killed during youth season, over bait by one of the subjects' sons. GWFC Johnson executed search warrants on both subject's phones. As a result, 24 charges were taken in Fannin and Union Counties. These include but are not limited to hunting big game over bait, unlawful enticement, taking over the season bag limit of deer, theft by taking wildlife, trapping without a license, several hunting license violations, and harvest recording violations. \nDuring deer season GWFC Savannah Miller arrested a convicted felon when she located him hunting on Army Corps of Engineers property on Lake Lanier. The suspect was charged for hunting without permission, hunting without a hunting license and hunting without a big game license, hunting without 500 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange, and convicted felon in possession of a firearm. \nOn 03/13/2022 Game Warden First Class Bryan Price and Sgt. Casey Jones received a fishing complaint located in Dawson County on the Amicalola Creek delayed harvest section. Upon arrival 3 individuals were located and charged for possession of trout in a delayed harvest stream, using illegal bait in an artificial only stream and fishing without license on persons. \nOn May 2021 Game Warden First Class Bryan Price was requested by Dawson County Sheriff's Office and Dawson County Fire and EMS to assist in a search and rescue for two Male individuals that were lost and stranded while attempting to float from Hwy 9 Bridge downstream to the Kelly Bridge boat launch on the Etowah River in Dawson County. GSP aviation was used to fly the stretch of river using FLIR to quickly locate the lost kayakers. Once located Game Warden price along with Dawson County S.O. personnel were able to use their ATVs to navigate through the dense and steep terrain. Price contacted the kayakers but due to the very steep riverbank and deepwater depth in the area. The cold and tired kayakers could not get out on their own. Game Warden Price took off his duty belt and climbed down the steep embankment and get in the river to catch \n18 \n \n the individuals one at a time from going further downstream with no lights. The first kayakers were an older male that had extensive health issues and was suffering from onset hypothermia. Game Warden Price helped lift the older gentleman up the bank and quickly got the wet shirt off the gentleman and gave him his shirts to dry off with and to wear while a Deputy took him to Game Warden Price's Truck where he could use the heat and other jackets to get his core body temperature up. Game Warden Price then repeated the same process with the other kayaker. Both kayakers were quickly taken using Game Warden Price's patrol truck back to the main road where EMS was staged at for medical evaluation. Both kayakers were released with no injuries and taken back to their vehicles after warming up. \nOn the night of November 28, 2021, GWFC Brandon Pierce received a call the Hart County Sheriff's Office that a deputy had a vehicle from a night deer hunting complaint stopped and wanted him to respond. When GWFC Pierce arrived, he interviewed the subject, and it was determined from his investigation that the subject had indeed shot at a deer from the road that night and he had also shot a 7-point buck and two doe deer the previous day. Also, GWFC Pierce found out that the subject was a convicted felon. GWFC Pierce took warrants and arrested the subject where he was charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, hunting without a license, hunting without a big-game license, two counts of recording and reporting requirements of game animals, hunting from a vehicle, hunting from a public road, and hunting deer at night. \nOn December 11, 2021, GWFC Phillip Nelson received a call in Oglethorpe County regarding two subjects hunting without permission. GWFC Nelson responded to the area but they two subjects were already gone. The following the day the same landowner called him again and said the same two subjects were back on his property hunting and that they were in the process of stealing his camera. GWFC Nelson responded back to the location and located a vehicle coming out of the powerline behind the property. When he was talking to the subject in the vehicle, he noticed a ground blind in the back seat, and he told GWFC Nelson who the two guys he got it from were. GWFC Nelson asked him to call the two guys and tell them to meet them there at his truck which they did. It was determined through GWFC Nelson's investigation that the two men were the ones hunting without permission the day before and that day and that they had also stolen the ground blind, two chairs and a camera from that location belonging to the landowner. The two subjects were arrested and charged with hunting without permission, hunting without wearing fluorescent orange, hunting without a license, hunting without a big game license and theft by taking. \nRegion 2 Game Wardens have participated in the Atlanta Street Racing and Crime Detail alongside the Georgia State Patrol for the past year. \n19 \n \n Region III- Thomson \nThe Region III Law Enforcement Division is comprised of twenty-eight counties from East Central Georgia to the Piedmont. Within the region, there are twenty-three Wildlife Management Areas, 3 VPS's (voluntary public access), nine State Parks, three Public Fishing Areas, three Public Dove Fields. Region III is home to Clarks Hill Lake, Lake Sinclair, Lake Juliette, Lake Tobesofkee, Lake Jackson, and Lake Oconee. River systems include the Savannah River, Ogeechee River, Oconee River, Apalachee River, and the Ohoopee river. 31 post certified Game Wardens, one Administrative Assistant and a secretary are assigned to the region. \n \nPersonnel Awards \n \nCapt. Doyte Chaffin, Elizabeth Bentley, Rainee Rowell, Sgt. John Harwell \n \nGW Levi Thompson became a member of DNR, LED Peer Support and Sonar Team. \n \nGW Saxon Campbell became a member of the CIRT Team and was called to assist with boating incidents in Savannah and Lake Tobesofkee. \n \nGW Taylor Bingham became a member of the SOG Team and Sonar Team. \n \nGW Taylor Brown became a member of the Sonar Team. \n \nCpl. Ricky Boles was selected as the Region III's Game Warden of the Year. \n \nCpl. Jeff Billips was selected as the State Hunter Education Instructor of the Year and completed the Daniel Defense DD M4 Armorer School as well as Glock Armorer School as part of his collateral duties as a firearms instructor. \n \nGW Kyle Kervin graduated with the awards for highest academic average during the Wildlife Segment as well as the \"Top Gun\" Award during firearms training. GW Cory Bohannon served as Vice President for the 36th Game Warden Academy. \nGW Skyler Redmond became a member of the Sonar Team. Cpl. David Fisher was Region III's Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl award recipient which is his 2nd time receiving this award as he was the state award winner in 2020. He also completed all 10 modules of PMP. \nGW Jason Bennett completed Firearm's Instructor training in August 2022. \nCpl. Jonathan Segars completed Field Training Officer class and SONAR training. \nGW Erin McDade was selected by the Command Staff to assist with Game Warden recruitment. \nGW Lamar Burns completed Field Training Officer class and SONAR training and was selected by the Command Staff to assist with Game Warden recruitment. \n \n20 \n \n In the Community Cpl. Bobby Timmerman, Cpl. Shane Sartor and GW Saxon Campbell assisted with a Safety Day at the Columbia County Fair Grounds. Cpl. Bobby Timmerman, GW Saxon Campbell, and GW Levi Thompson participated in an Emergency Preparedness Day in Columbia County. Cpl. Bobby Timmerman, GW Saxon Campbell and PIO Mark McKinnon participated in career day at Georgia Military College. \nCpl. Derrell Worth and the rest of his work section maintain positive community relations through their involvement with outdoor and educational programs. This past year, the Lake Oconee Work Section taught boating safety enforcement to a group of Greene County Deputies, taught boater ed at Lake Oconee Academy and Morgan County High School. They participated in community events such as the Warren County Sportsman's Festival, Faith and Blue event, Georgia Power public interaction meeting, Georgia Farm Bureau Safety Day, and the Morgan County Jr. Deputy Camp. Pictured is Cpl. Worth assisting a youth with archery at Black Dog Farm in Morgan County during an outdoor adventure day. \nCpl. Jeff Billips planned and executed the annual Glascock County Kids Fishing Event which includes all Elementary age school children over the course of 5 days. \nGW Lamar Burns and Erin McDade attended the FFA Trade Show in Macon in April 2022. They talked with over 700 middle and high school students from all over Georgia about becoming a Game Warden. \nGovernor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp, along with Commissioner Williams, visited the Law Enforcement and Wildlife Resources booths at the Turkeyrama/Fisharama at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in February 2022. \n21 \n \n Helping Hand Cpl. Bobby Timmerman assisted Savannah P.D. with a 3-day Standardized Field Sobriety Class sponsored by Grovetown Police Department. This class certified Officers in Field Sobriety from several agencies in and surrounding Columbia County. \nGW Taylor Bingham arrested and charged one subject for DUI on a complaint at Elijah Clark State Park. \nSgt. Carters section worked numerous complaints of alcohol consumption at the beach areas on our parks. Surveillance details were utilized. These details resulted in several violations being documented. \nOn October 19th, Sgt. Carter and GW Levi Thompson, along with Columbia County SO investigated 1 suicide that occurred on Mistletoe State Park. \nOn February 18th, GW Levi Thompson conducted a welfare check on in individual that was staying at Mistletoe State Park. GW Thomson found the person deceased. The incident was turned over to GBI for further investigation. \nGWs assisted the Twiggs County SO with \"Operation Wrong Exit\" on I-16. Over 2 dozen agencies assisted as part of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety enforcement efforts during the St. Patrick's Day weekend celebration. GWs were tasked with surveillance along the wood line which was instrumental in making several felony drug cases as well as vehicles swapping drivers and open container violations. \nHunting \u0026 Fishing Activity On October 19th, GW Taylor Bingham responded and investigated 1 tree stand fall that occurred on Mistletoe Road in Columbia County. The fall resulted in a fatality. \nOn December 19th, Cpl. Shane Sartor responded and investigated 1 tree stand fall in Wilkes County. The subject miss stepped and fell causing injuries to his back and shoulder. \nOn May 7th, GW Saxon Campbell received a tip in reference to subjects taking over the limit and undersized stripers on the Savannah River below dam. The investigation led to the apprehension of 4 subjects. The subjects were charged with numerous violations. \nCpl. Ricky Boles most notable wildlife cases this year stem from night hunting activity. Ricky spent 30 nights working night hunting activity, devoting 121 hours to night hunting complaints. As a result, Cpl. Boles led his work section and region in night hunting activity. He apprehended 14 individuals that were violating wildlife laws related to night hunting and road hunting. \n22 \n \n In June 2022, Cpl. Payne received an anonymous phone call of several individuals were trying to load a large alligator into the back of a white pick-up truck near the Lock and Dam. Payne being 55 miles away quickly contacted the sheriff's office and had a deputy respond. Once on scene the deputy located the alligator but the violator's fled on foot. After a short time searching the driver of the truck was detained and questioned. Payne cited him for killing an alligator out of season and later charged another individual for the same crime. \nCpl. Ben Payne and GW Kyle Kervin investigated a fishing without permission complaint. Upon receipt of the complaint the GW's located a likely area of access to the property and utilized a concealed camera to document several return trips by the suspect. The subject was caught exiting the property with his Kayak and fishing gear and was charged with fishing without permission. \nIn January 2022, Cpl. Payne was working duck hunting activitiy in Washington County. After locating a duck shoot, Cpl. Payne checked licenses and investigated the swamp. Upon entering the swamp he located a trail camera and corn on the swamp bottom. There were also pictures of the individuals hunting on the camera. Citation's were written for hunting waterfowl over bait and one citation for illegal enticement. \nOn February 13th, 2022, GW Redmond received a fishing w/o permission complaint where the landowner saw several individuals fishing on his property. The landowner told the subjects that no one had permission to be on the property and left. The daughter of the landowner drove by the pond a few minutes later and the subjects were still there fishing. GW Redmond arrived on scene and issued a fishing w/o permission citation. \nCpl. David Fisher discussing a baited area with a hunter on Opening Day of the 2022 turkey season. It was determined the hunter was unaware of the bait and the landowner took full responsibility and received a citation for the offense. \n23 \n \n On December 24, 2021, GW Kevin Hurley patrolled south Houston County for waterfowl activity. He heard numerous shots coming from a swamp just across the line in Pulaski County. He called for assistance and GW's Lamar Burns, Jason Bennett and Sgt. Bubba Stanford responded. Nine hunters were apprehended and were in possession of 1 goose, 2 green wing teal and 9 wood ducks. Whole kernel corn was in the pond and 7 adult hunters were charged for hunting waterfowl over bait. \nOn November 7th, 2021 Cpl. Keith Page responded to a night hunting complaint in Monroe County. Upon arriving Page interviewed witnesses and used his K9 \"Rio\" to locate evidence (spent buckshot shells and blood). Page and Deputies from the Monroe County SO located two men on a side by side in the area and after an investigation Page found deer blood and hair in the back of the ATV. The investigation revealed that the two men shot a deer from the roadway, chased it into an adjacent field while continuing to shoot at the deer multiple times. The suspects then loaded the deer on to the ATV and took it to their nearby residence where they threw a tactical semi-automatic shotgun into some bushes and proceeded to remove the backstraps from the deer. Page found the backstraps from the deer hid in a trash bag and shoved into a 5-gallon bucket. After confronting the suspects with the evidence, both suspects admitted to hunting deer at night, hunting from a public road, hunting from a motorized vehicle and illegal dumping of a deer carcass. \nOn October 30th, 2021, GW Westin Rabon, received a call from Jasper County Communications of possible hunting without permission complaint. The Complaint advised me that earlier that morning while she was in the deer stand, she heard a shot that sounded like it was on her property. She located the subjects on an adjoining piece of property and asked if they had shot. They advised her that they shot at a deer on their property but couldn't find it. Upon my arrival, I interviewed the suspects, and they told me the same thing they told the complainant. I asked the two individuals to show me where they were hunting. They lead me to a ground blind on their property where they hunted that morning. It was not near the property line of the complainant. As we were walking back to the truck, I noticed a pile of turkey feathers about 50 yards to the right of the ground blind. After a brief investigation with the two individuals, I discovered that one of them shot a hen turkey earlier that morning and lied about shooting at a deer. They hid the turkey in a corn sack beside a creek on the property when they discovered that I was enroute. I confiscated the turkey and charged the two individuals with Hunting Out of Season, Hunting Without Orange, and a Non-Resident Hunting Without a License. \n24 \n \n Region II-Thomson Game Wardens \n \nCpl. Jeff Billips, GW Skyler Redmond, GW Kyle Kervin, Sgt. Mark Patterson (Cpl. Ben Payne not pictured) \n \nSgt. Brian Carter, Cpl. Shane Sartor, Cpl. Bobby Timmerman, GW Saxon Campbell, GW Levi Thompson, GW Taylor Bingham (GW Taylor Brown not pictured) \n \nSgt. Matt Garthright, GW Cory Bohannon, Cpl. Derrell Worth, Cpl. Ricky Boles \n \nGW Lamar Burns, GW Jason Bennett, GW Erin McDade, Sgt. Bubba Stanford, Cpl. David Fisher, Cpl. Jonathan Segars \n \nSgt. Travis Sweat, GW David Webb, GW. Kevin Hurley, GW Westin Rabon, Cpl. Wil Smith, GW Bryan Gresham, Cpl. Keith Page, (GW Niki Spencer not pictured) \n25 \n \n Region IV- Metter \nLeft to right: Cpl. Clint Jarriel, GW Evans Nobles, GW Jack Corbett, Cpl. Mike Wilcox, Sgt. Clint Martin, Sgt. Shaymus McNeely, Cpl. Rodney Horne, Sgt. Chris Moore, Cpl. Robert Stillwell, GW Randell Meeks, Cpl. Patrick Gibbs, GW Jordan Usher, GW John Kennedy, Cpl. Jordan Crawford, GW Jack Thain, Sgt. Morty Wood, Cpl. Cameron Dyal, GW Connor Moon, GW Dylan Brady, GW Bryan Gresham \nRegion IV \"The Metter Region\" covers 27 counties in the Coastal Plains of Georgia and consists of mainly farmland, stands of planted pine trees and hardwood bottoms that feed the slow-moving large rivers of southeast Georgia. Region IV Game Wardens patrol over 121,000 acres of public land that includes twenty-five state properties that are operated by the Department of Natural Resources, multiple VPA properties and the public dove fields on Department of Corrections properties in Tattnall County. Region IV Game Wardens also patrol many miles of public waters that make up the mighty Altamaha and Savannah Rivers and their tributaries. Personnel Office Staff The Metter office personnel, pictured to the right, consist of Captain Bob Lynn, Administrative Assistant 3 April Thrift, Administrative Support 1 Christina Colquitt, and Administrative Sergeant Kevin Joyce. Field Staff Sergeant Shaymus McNeely's section: Corporal Mike Wilcox, Corporal Jordan Crawford, GWFC Jason Miler, GWFC Jack Thain and K-9 Case and GW Jack Corbett Sergeant Chris Moore's section: Corporal Patrick Gibbs, Corporal Clint Jarriel, GWFC Bobby Sanders, GWFC Randell Meeks, GW Jordan Usher and GW Bryan Gresham. Sergeant Clint Martin's section: Corporal Rodney Horne, Corporal Robert Stillwell, GW Connor Moon, and GW Evan Nobles Sergeant Morty Wood's section: Corporal Tim Hutto and K-9 Titan, Corporal Cameron Dyal. GW John Kennedy, GW Luke Rabun and GW Dylan Brady \n26 \n \n Personnel Changes Region IV welcomed new Wardens from the 36th Game Warden Academy to the Region: \n Bryan Gresham  Appling County  Jack Corbett - Emanuel County  Dylan Brady  Tift County Transfers Out  Sergeant James McLaughlin promoted to Captain in Region I  Corporal Chase Altman promoted from Appling County to Sergeant in Region VI  GW Bo Townsend transferred to Region I Transfer In  Clint Martin promoted from Corporal in Region V to Sergeant to fill Sgt. McLaughlin's \nposition  Robert Stillwell promoted to Corporal in Bleckley County from Region III Promotions  GWFC Clint Jarriel promoted to Corporal in Tattnall County  GWFC Cameron Dyal promoted from Jeff Davis to Corporal in Bacon County Retirements  Corporal Dan Stiles from Laurens County Region Personnel Awards  Corporal Patrick Gibbs nominated for GW of the Year  Corporal Clint Jarriel nominated for Game Warden Hunter Ed Instructor of the Year  Corporal Clint Jarriel nominated for Boating Safety GW of the Year  GW Jordan Usher nominated for Waterfowl Award  GW Jordan Usher nominated for TORCH Award \nResponding to calls across the state Region IV Game Wardens have continued to assist in working on Governor Kemp's Crime Suppression Detail in the metro Atlanta area throughout the year. Region IV Game Wardens assisted in providing security at Stone Mountain during scheduled protest/events. Calls for assistance have come from regions with large lakes near the metro areas. These lakes have seen a surge in water recreational use recently. Region IV Game Wardens have answered the call by volunteering to help give coverage, especially on the major holiday weekends. Region IV Game Wardens responded to Region VI in April when a tornado caused devastation to Bryan County. \nCommunity Involvement The best asset a Game Warden can have is the trust and support of the community in which they serve. Most of the region Wardens offer multiple Hunter Safety Classes in their counties. Wardens also speak or do presentations with local civic clubs, hunting clubs, schools, local governments, and religious groups on current issues and the duties of a Game Warden. \n27 \n \n Cpl. Patrick Gibbs and Cpl. Clint Jarriel have worked with Evans County Wildlife Club over the last few years to hold a Youth Hunting, Calling and Firearms Safety event every spring. Multiple businesses in the surrounding communities donate prizes for the kids attending the event. \nAttending local events give Game Wardens the ability to make personal contacts with the county citizens and recruit future wardens. On Saturday April 30, 2022, GWFC Luke Rabun, Cpl. Cameron Dyal, and Sgt. Morty Wood participated in the Day of the Kid community event in Alma. \nGW Evan Nobles and Sgt. Clint Martin participated in the Bleckley County Elementary School Career Day. The presentation was given to over 200 students to inform them about what is required to become a Game Warden, the day-today job duties and the laws related to hunting, fishing, and boating. \nNight Hunting Poaching deer at night is still a major complaint that citizens of Georgia call into the Ranger Hotline. With cotton, peanuts, soybeans, and corn in a steady rotation in most fields of the region and new clear cuts popping up with tree harvesting, deer have a constant food source near roadways throughout the region. The use of digital night vision scopes creates a challenge in catching the poachers. Also as with many other crimes, a night hunt stop may result in other charges such as possession of drugs, possession of a firearm by a felon, and driving under the influence. \n28 \n \n Corporal Mike Wilcox spotted two trucks in a field in Emanuel County at 0100 hours on January 7th. The occupants admitted that they were hog hunting. During Cpl. Wilcox's investigation he found six dead deer in the trucks that were still warm and limber. Several weapons and spent shell casings were found in one of the trucks. Search warrants were taken for the night vision and thermal scopes that were found in the trucks. Sgt. McNeely and Cpl. Wilcox were able to tie video from the SD cards to the night the deer were shot. All three suspects were charged and pled guilty to hunting deer at night. \nOn October 29th, GWFC Randell Meeks and GW Jordan Usher were working a night hunting detail near Uvalda. The wardens observed a truck pass by the field using IR light to illuminate the field. Upon stopping the truck, the wardens found one AR platform rifle with a full 30 round and a night vision scope along with a shotgun and one IR flashlight Charges for hunting from a vehicle, hunting from a public road and hunting deer at night were issued to the driver. \nWaterfowl This year's waterfowl season was unusually busy without having several calls coming into the Hotline about roost shoots and baited duck holes. Several great cases were made by each work section during the season. \nCorporal Patrick Gibbs received an in-progress complaint of shooting ducks after hours. Cpl. Gibbs parked 600 yards away and approached on foot utilizing night vision. Cpl. Gibbs located a camouflage moped in the edge of the woods with a warm engine and fresh mud on it. After waiting \nfor 30 minutes, he encountered one of the hunters walking toward the moped and eventually contacted all 7 hunters. Violations for hunting waterfowl after hours, hunting without a migratory bird license, hunting without a federal duck stamp, and failure to sign federal duck stamp were documented. 18 ducks were confiscated and donated to a local church for a wild game supper. \n29 \n \n On December 12, 2021, Game Warden John Kennedy was patrolling Wilcox County on the opening day of the second waterfowl season when he located three duck hunters. GW Kennedy realized that the hunters were over the limit. GW Kennedy checked and found bait at the location. Violations were documented for taking over the daily bag limit, hunting ducks over bait, and multiple license and stamp violations. \n \nPatrolling Public Properties \n \nGW Cameron Dyal and Cpl. Rodney Horne were patrolling the Old Towns Bluff Landing on Bullard Creek WMA and observed 2 subjects sitting in a truck at the landing. When they walked up to the truck, they saw a glass pipe sitting on the center console. A search of the truck revealed 2 bags of meth, 3 glass pipes, a digital scale, and several small clear baggies. The total weight of the meth was just over 27 grams. The subjects were charged with possession of meth, possession, and use of drug related objects, and the WRD lands pass violation. \n \nOn 10/23/21, GWFC Luke Rabun was patrolling Flat Tub WMA when he encountered an individual returning to his vehicle from hunting. GWFC Rabun approached the individual and checked the individual's hunting license and equipment. GWFC Rabun observed that the individual's firearm was still loaded and also smelled the odor of burnt marijuana. GWFC Rabun performed a search of the person's vehicle and found a burnt marijuana cigarette as well as muscle relaxers and prescription pills that did not belong to him. The hunter consented to a field sobriety test and was found to be under the influence. The hunter was charged with Hunting under the Influence, and Possession of Marijuana (less than an ounce). The hunter was also issued a warning for Hunting Within 50 Yards of a WMA Road. \n \nAssisting other agencies Game Wardens also often assist local agencies in searching for lost and missing persons. Game Wardens often use their knowledge of the woods and their ability to use ATV's and vessels as search aids. DNR K-9's are often used to locate weapons and other items that are lost or hidden in the woods. \n \nOn Sunday January 9, 2022, GWFC John Kennedy and SGT Morty Wood assisted Tift County Sheriff personnel and Tift County Fire/Recue with locating and recovering a male subject that was missing after he had wrecked his vehicle in a pond several days earlier. \n \n30 \n \n Sgt. Martin's work section trained on using Sonar for searches and the limitations. After sinking a mannequin, the objective was to adjust the Side Scan Sonars on the patrol vessels to get the best image possible. In still water the image was clear enough you could see the rope tied to the mannequin. The results in moving water were totally different. No matter what adjustments were made the mannequin could not be seen. \nInvestigations Many of the tips that come in often need to be investigated through nontraditional means. The investigative unit assist the field staff in obtaining and deciphering mobile data and imbedded picture information. The following cases are great examples. \nIn October of 2021 Sgt. Shaymus McNeely was contacted by a complainant in Screven County in reference to the killing of a large deer at night, but game checked it as a legal kill. The complainant additionally provided pictures taken by the suspect. Criminal analyst Ashley Moon analyzed the pictures for time and location data. Using the report provided by criminal analyst Moon, Sgt. McNeely and GWFC Jack Thain interviewed the suspect who confessed to shooting the deer at night and falsely game checking the kill. The suspect was charged with hunting deer at night and later pled guilty. \nOn November 16th, GWFC Rabun received a complaint that an individual shot an 8-point buck from his vehicle on Old Axson Rd. in Coffee County. GWFC Rabun found that the suspect turned a buck into a nearby processor that morning but tagged the buck in another county after the 24hour deadline. GWFC Rabun interviewed the suspect and was informed that the deer was killed with a firearm on a hunting club in Atkinson County. GWFC Rabun found that the suspect was a convicted felon and confiscated the buck as well as the firearm that was used to kill the deer. After performing a search warrant on the suspect's cell phone, and obtaining location data, it was found that the suspect did not spend time at the hunting club in Atkinson County on the day that the deer was killed. The location data showed the suspect in the area of Old Axson Rd, during the time the complainant said he shot the deer from the Rd. GWFC Rabun, Cpl.Williams, and a member of the investigative unit interviewed the suspect again and gained a confession that the deer was shot from a vehicle on Old Axson Rd. GWFC Rabun obtained arrest warrants for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Hunting Big Game From a Public Road, Hunting From a Vehicle, and Reporting and Recording Procedures for Game Animals and Birds. \n31 \n \n Region V- Albany \nL to R: Scott Carroll, Eric White, Steve Robinson, Dean Gibson, Ryan Buice, Alex Chambers, Seth May, Blake Chafin, Jim Atchley, Greg Wade, Drew Beverly, Steve Thomas, Taylor Beamon, Rick Sellars, KP Boatright, Al Greer, Logan South, Thomas Sibley, Tony Cox, Quinn Fogle, Drew Weathersby, Jeremy Bolen, Eric Isom and K-9 \"BO\" (Not Pictured Greg Castelli and Jesse Harrison) \nThe Region V Law Enforcement Division is comprised of thirty-one counties in the southwest portion of the state with the headquarters located in Albany. Within the region there are seven large reservoirs, two major rivers, a multitude of smaller streams, eighteen wildlife management areas, two Public Fishing Areas, nine State Parks, Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, and Ft. Benning Military Base. \nCurrently, the region has twenty-six POST certified Game Wardens, with twenty-four assigned field duties, and Captain Rick Sellars and Sergeant Quinn Fogle assigned administrative responsibilities. The region currently has one non-sworn administrative staff member, Taylor Beamon the Administrative Assistant III. Ms. Beamon was hired to fill the vacancy left by Cindy Hynote's retirement in August of 2021. \nL to R: Captain Rick Sellars, AOC Taylor Beamon, Sgt. Quinn Fogle \n32 \n \n The Region's 31 counties are divided into 5 work units: \nLake Blackshear Work Section \nSergeant Al Greer's work section encompasses 6 counties in the northeastern part of Region 5. These counties are Dooly, Crisp, Macon, Sumter, Schley, and Lee. The section is responsible for the Flint River from the north Macon County line to the south Lee County line and includes Lake Blackshear. Within the 6 counties, the work section is responsible for law enforcement on Flint River WMA, Montezuma Bluffs WMA, Cordele Fish Hatchery, and Georgia Veterans State Park. \nL to R: Alex Chambers, Blake Chafin, Sgt. Al Greer, and Cpl. Logan South (not pictured Cpl. Jesse Harrison) \nThis year several changes occurred in Sgt. Greer's section. Corporal Clint Martin was promoted to Sergeant and transferred to Region 4. Game Warden First Class Logan South was promoted to Corporal within the work section and is assigned to Lee County. Game Warden Blake Chafin was promoted to Game Warden First Class within the section and is assigned to Macon County. Game Warden Cadet Alex Chambers became a new member of the section in January of this year. Game Warden Alex Chambers graduated the Game Warden Academy in June of this year and is currently assigned to Sumter County. Corporal Jesse Harrison is assigned to Crisp County. \nThe make-up of the section has both rural and urban aspects contained within it. With the population intertwined with rural farmland and large timber tracts, the work section spent over 500 hours working citizen complaints this year. The section issued 411 total citations and warnings enforcing the laws, while protecting the citizens and wildlife of this state. The section worked one boating incident and one drowning that occurred on Lake Blackshear. While enforcing the boating safety laws on the Flint River and Lake Blackshear, the section arrested 9 people for boating under the influence. During hunting season, the section charged four subjects for hunting deer at night, and one person for hunting under the influence. The section apprehended two subjects for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon during hunting season. \n33 \n \n Lake Seminole Work Section \nSgt Cox's Work Section includes Decatur, Seminole, Baker, Grady, Early, and Miller County. Game Wardens in this work unit patrol Lake Seminole, Flint River, Chattahoochee River, Ochlocknee River, Spring Creek and Tired Creek Reservoir. The work section consists of Sgt. Tony Cox, Cpl. Steve Thomas, Cpl. Thomas Sibley, GW KP Boatright and GW Seth May. \nL to R: Cpl. Steve Thomas, Cpl. Thomas Sibley, Sgt. Tony Cox, Seth May, and KP Boatright \nThis year, Game Wardens made 13 BUI arrest along with 3 counts of child endangerment. They also investigated one boating incident, two drownings and one hunting incident. Game Wardens recorded a total of 391 violator contacts. Out of those contacts, two individuals were charged for Hunting Alligator Out of Season, five individuals were charged with Hunting Deer at Night, Hunting Big Game from a Public Road and Hunting from a Motor Vehicle. There was also one individual charged for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A total of 45 individuals were charged with Hunting Over Bait, and 34 of those individuals were hunting waterfowl. Due to his hard work and dedication, GW KP Boatright received the Torch Award for the State. GW Boatright and Sgt. Cox received the Governor's Public Safety Award from Governor Kemp for a water rescue on Lake Seminole. \n34 \n \n Albany Work Section \nThe Albany work section is comprised of Dougherty, Worth, Mitchell, Colquitt, Brooks, and Thomas Counties, encompassing approximately 3,000 square miles. The major waterways within these counties are Lake Worth, Kinchafoonee Creek, Muckalee Creek, Ochlocknee River, Flint \nRiver, and Little River. This work section holds 4 Wildlife Management Areas (Chickasawhatchee, Albany Nursery, Doerun Pitcher Plant Bog, River Creek) and 1 State Park (Reed Bingham). This section is currently patrolled by three Game Wardens: Sgt. Greg Wade (K9 Cuff), Cpl. Eric White, and Game Warden Drew Beverly. Cpl. David Jones is currently detached to the Investigative Unit. \nL to R: Drew Beverly, Sgt. Greg Wade, and Cpl. Eric White \nThroughout the year, Game Wardens in the Albany section issued 610 citations and warnings. Some violations of note were boating/hunting under the influence (3), hunting deer at night (2), and hunting/ fishing without permission (31). Wardens responded to and investigated 1 boating incident and no hunting incidents were reported. \nSgt. Wade assisted with multiple K-9 requests from local and state agencies for various crimes. He assisted with the departmental hiring process for evaluating prospective candidates for employment, attended High Risk Man Tracking, SSGT refresher course, Natural Resource Conservation Workshop DNR Liaison, and was certified as a taser instructor. Sgt. Wade continues to instruct employees as a use of force/de-escalation and defensive tactics. He, along with K-9 Cuff, also serve on the Special Operations Group (S.O.G.). \nCpl. White serves on the Sonar Team and has attended its annual week-long training at Laura Walker State Park in Waycross, Ga. Cpl. White has also attended NASBLA's level-2 boating incident reconstruction training at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, Ga. He also was tasked as the sections Field Training Officer, training new Cadets once they graduate the Game Warden Academy. Cpl. White is also continuing his education by attending the PMP program at the Command College of Columbus State University. Cpl. White also assisted local Colquitt County emergency services with response to a tornado which had damaged an area he was patrolling. \nGWFC Drew Beverly has attended multiple P.O.S.T. trainings including Crisis Intervention Training (C.I.T.), Field Training Officer (F.T.O.) certification, and advance report writing. Warden Beverly was instrumental in patrolling our area WMAs, which he proved crucial in capturing a subject who had stolen a back-pack blower from a River Creek WMA shop. \n35 \n \n Columbus Work Section \n \nSergeant Bolen's section consists of \n \nHarris, Muscogee, Talbot, Taylor, \n \nChattahoochee, and Marion \n \nCounties. The Game Wardens in \n \nthis work unit patrol Lake Harding, \n \nLake Oliver, Goat Rock, along with \n \nseveral miles of the Chattahoochee \n \nand Flint Rivers. Several state- \n \nowned properties are also located \n \nwithin the work section including 7 \n \nWildlife Management Areas, 1 \n \nPublic Fishing Area, and 2 State \n \nParks. Game Wardens assigned to \n \nthis work unit are Cpl. Eric Isom, \n \nL to R: Cpl. Dean Gibson, Sgt. Jeremy Bolen, Ryan Buice, and Cpl. Eric Isom Cpl. Dean Gibson, Game Warden \n \n(Not pictured Greg Castelli) \n \nGreg Castelli, and Game Warden \n \nRyan Buice. \n \nIn January of 2022, Game Warden Dean Gibson located a baited duck shoot while on patrol in Talbot County. Two hunters were charged with hunting ducks over bait after GW Gibson located corn in the water. The hunters killed nine wood ducks between the two of them and one of the hunters was using lead shot. The ducks were confiscated as evidence and donated to a local food shelter. \n \nIn February of 2022, Cpl. Eric Isom was recognized as the Officer of the Year for the Albany Exchange Club and Officer of the Year for the Rotary Club of Moultrie. \n \nIn May of 2022, Cpl. Eric Isom, Game Warden Ryan Buice, and Game Warden Greg Castelli attended the Safe Kids of Columbus PFD event. Academy Sports and Outdoors donated 500 lifejackets to Safe Kids Columbus, an organization dedicated to keeping children safe on local Lakes and Rivers. Safe Kids works hand in hand with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Columbus Police Department, Muscogee County Sheriff's Office, and Columbus Fire \u0026 EMS to ensure safety on the water in the Columbus area. \n \nCpl. Dean Gibson received the Region 5 NWTF Officer of the Year Award. as well as the Region 5 Game Warden of the Year Award. Cpl. Eric Isom received the Officer of the Year Award for the Albany Exchange Club and Rotary Club of Moultrie. Game Warden Greg Castelli received the Region 5 Boating Safety Officer of the Year Award. Game Warden Ryan Buice received the Region 5 Hunter Education Instructor of the Year Award. \n \nWork section Game Wardens responded to a total of 4 drownings, made 44 hunting over bait cases, and arrested 33 operators for boating under the influence. \n \n36 \n \n Lake Walter F. George Work Section \nThis work section covers the rural area along the western border of Region V, including Stewart, Randolph, Terrell, Webster, Quitman, Calhoun and Clay Counties. Outdoor recreation, timber production and farming are the primary land uses in this portion of the region. \nL to R: Cpl. Steve Robinson, Sgt. Jim Atchley, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Drew Weathersby \nOnly four game wardens have the pleasure of patrolling the seven counties along the Georgia/Alabama border. Within this work section, game wardens patrol over 30,800 acres of state WMA lands on 4 WMA's, 700 acres of the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge (Bradley Unit), 3 state parks and the 46,000-acre Lake Walter F. George. The officers patrolling this area include Sergeant Jim Atchley, Corporal Scott Carroll, Corporal Steve Robinson, and Game Warden Drew Weathersby. This year has seen a change with Thomas Sibley promoting to Corporal and transferring from Calhoun Co. to Baker County under Sergeant Tony Cox. Game Warden Drew Weathersby is a new addition to the work section and is assigned to Randolph Co., Corporal Steve Robinson is assigned to Stewart Co. and Corporal Scott Carroll is assigned to Terrell Co. Game Warden Drew Weathersby graduated from the Game Warden Academy in June and has hit the ground running. In his short tenure and while completing his field training, GW Weathersby has already been involved arrests for BUI and BUI Child endangerment. He is blending well with the wok section and is already very knowledgeable with the work section area. \n37 \n \n Region VI- Brunswick \nRegion VI is comprised of 19 counties divided into 5 work sections. Each section stays very busy from working hunting and fishing to the Commercial Fishing industry. Below is a small portion of the good work Region VI Game Warden's do. \n \nBerrien, Cook, Echols, Lanier, and Lowndes Work Section \n \nSgt. Jon Penuel \n \nSgt. Patrick Dupree was selected as Supervisor of the Year and retired on June 1, 2022. \n \nOn opening weekend of turkey season, Game Warden Aaron Powell received a complaint of hunting without permission in Berrien County. Game Warden Powell and Sgt. Jon Penuel responded to the area to investigate. While on scene, the complainant advised them that while driving down the county dirt road, when he came through a curve, he saw a pickup truck stopped in the road a short distance in front of him. He then observed a male subject in camouflage jump the ditch and run to the back of the truck and throw what appeared to be a large turkey in the back of the truck and then the truck sped away. During their investigation, the Game Wardens found turkey feathers, footprints, blood, a shotshell wad and a spent 12-gauge shotshell at the scene. With this information in hand, the Game Wardens went to the residence where the vehicle was registered. After interviewing the subjects at the home, they confessed to riding around the area and when they saw the turkey in the field, the passenger got out of the truck and slipped through the tall brush to sneak up on the turkey and kill him. Both subjects were charged with Hunting without Permission and Hunting Big Game from a Public Road. The turkey was seized as evidence and the meat was donated to a local family in need. \n \nDuring deer season, Corporal Daniel North received a complaint of hunting from the road in Echols County. Corporal North responded to the area and spoke with a homeowner that heard the shots and saw a vehicle near his house when the incident took place. The homeowner also provided Corporal North with video surveillance footage from his home security system that captured the entire incident. The video showed a pickup truck stop in front of the home, a gunshot can then be heard coming from the vehicle and the driver and passenger then exit the vehicle and drag a deer back to the vehicle and load it into the truck and leave. Corporal North recognized the vehicle, which belonged to a local member of a dog deer hunting club. Corporal North located the vehicle and both occupants and each were charged with Hunting from a Vehicle and Hunting Big Game from a Public Road. \n38 \n \n Atkinson/Clinch/Ware/Charlton Work Section \n \nSgt. Jason Shipes \n \nOur work section welcomed Game Warden Erin McClellan to the section. She successfully graduated from the 36th Game Warden Academy and is assigned to Stephen C. Foster/Charlton \nCounty. \n \nOn the morning of November 25th, GWFC Joseph Cowart located five subjects hunting ducks in Atkinson County. GWFC Cowart suspected that the area may have been baited, with the assistance of Corporal Sam Williams, officers confirmed that corn was placed in the creek. As a result, five subjects were charged with hunting over bait. \n \nOn September 4th, Corporal Mark Pool and Corporal Sam Williams were patrolling for dove hunting activity in Atkinson County when they located several vehicles parked near a locked gate. Game Wardens encountered a group of dove hunters in the middle of a cow pasture approximately one mile from the parked vehicles. Upon further investigation, officers inspected a recently harrowed strip and found bird seed scattered on top of the ground. Numerous violations for hunting over bait was documented. \n \nSgt. Jason Shipes, Corporal Mark Pool, Corporal Sam Williams, and GW Joseph Cowart assisted with this year's annual Georgia Sheriffs Boys Ranch deer hunt. This event is sponsored by Superior Pine located in Fargo, Ga. In attendance were Clinch County Sheriff Stephen Tinsley, Echols County Sheriff Randy Courson, CEO of Superior Pine LLC. and Georgia State Senator Russ Goodman. For most of the participants, this was their first opportunity to go hunting, much less harvest their first deer. \nWhile checking for fishing activity on the Satilla River in Ware County, Sgt. Jason Shipes located a vehicle parked on the boat ramp. As Sgt. Shipes approached the vehicle, he observed the driver of the vehicle smoking some type of illegal substance. Both subjects were later arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine. \n39 \n \n Brantley, Long, Pierce, Wayne Work Section \n \nSgt. Chase Altman \n \nSgt. Chase Altman's work section recorded a total of 9 BUI's this past fiscal year. Cpl. John Evans had a total of 6 BUI's, GWFC Judd Sears had 2 BUI's, and Cpl. Bobby White had 1 BUI. This was a combined effort, focusing on concentrated patrols on the Altamaha River during the holidays and busy weekends. \n \nOn the night of 11/12/2021, Cpl. John Evans was working a night hunting complaint in Wayne County. A vehicle was seen shining an infrared light out the window as it came towards Cpl. Evans patrol vehicle. Cpl. Evans pulled out in front of the truck and activated his blue lights. The truck tried to swerve around Cpl. Evans, but he was able to block him from doing so. The truck then went in reverse and sped away as Cpl. Evans gave chase. The truck made it to an intersection and went down into the ditch and back out, cutting Cpl. Evans off and went down a dead-end dirt road. Cpl. Evans pursued the truck as it went over the ditch into the woods and then stopped a good distance in the wooded area. Cpl. Evans got out on foot and gave chase but was unable to locate the suspect. Enough evidence was obtained at the scene, along with a rifle that the suspect hid in the woods, for Cpl. Evans to obtain an arrest warrant for the suspect, who also came back to be a convicted felon as well. \n \nDuring the first two weekends before turkey season came in, Cpl. Bobby White focused on illegal turkey hunters who may be getting started ahead of everyone else. These patrols resulted in backto-back weekends of catching out of season turkey hunters. A total of 4 hunters were charged with hunting turkeys out of season. In all, Cpl. White made 17 turkey contacts, which included hunting over bait and hunting on a closed WMA. \n \nOn December 11th, Sgt. Chase Altman and GWFC Judd Sears assisted the Brantley County Sheriff's office with their annual \"Shop with a Cop\" event. Sgt. Altman and GWFC Sears both escorted and assisted with 3 kids each, riding them in the patrol vehicles and helping them pick out presents from Walmart. \n \nBryan, Chatham, Liberty Work Section \n \nSgt. Cindy Miller \n \nWhile on a Joint Enforcement Agreement (JEA) patrol, on October 23, 2022, Game Wardens Tim Morris, Cindy Miller, and Barry Britt boarded a fishing vessel in Federal Waters. The captain of the vessel was in possession of an undersized Cobia and 4 illegal Red Snapper. Federal Waters were not open for Red Snapper. A federal case packet was completed and turned over to NOAA National Marine Fisheries. \n \nIn February 2022 Game Warden Tim Morris was promoted to Corporal in the Chatham, Bryan, Liberty Counties work section. \nDuring the early morning hours of May 5th, 2022, Cpl. Barry Britt, and Sgt. Cindy Miller along with Chatham County Marine Patrol Sgt. Danny Walker responded to a fatality boating incident on the Wilmington River in Savannah, GA. At approximately 3:30 am, a 28' center console vessel struck an unlit red marker in the Intercoastal Waterway on the Wilmington River. One adult male occupant suffered a severe head injury during the collision with the marker and died from his injuries. \n \n40 \n \n On 5/28/2022 (the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend) Sergeant Cindy Miller, Corporal Tim Morris, Game Warden Douglas Chambers, and Game Warden Quintin Reed responded to a fatality boat collision involving two mid-range vessels which collided in the Wilmington River near Thunderbolt, GA. The boating incident resulted in five deaths (four out of five members of one immediate family), three serious injuries, and the operator of one vessel being arrested for Boating Under the Influence. \nAdditional Game Wardens from the surrounding counties along with Sonar equipment was brought to the scene to assist with the incident and to locate three victims who were still in the water after having been ejected from their respective vessels because of the boat collision. All three victims were located and recovered from the water the following day. As a result of the DNR Critical Incident Reconstruction Team's investigation, the operator who was arrested for Boating Under the Influence was later indicted by a Grand Jury on ten counts of Homicide by Vessel in the first degree, six counts of serious injury by vessel, Boating Under the Influence less safe, and Reckless Operation of a vessel. \nOn June 05, 2022, at approximately 1730 hours a vessel heading south in Turner's creek collided with the pylon under the US 80 bridge. The vessel was a 15 ft Boston Whaler occupied by 1 male and 1 female each 16 years of age. Chatham County Game Wardens Doug Chambers and Corporal Barry Britt were already on the water and responded to the incident. The incident resulted in multiple lacerations and multiple serious injuries. Game Warden Quintin Reed responded to the hospital to check on the status of the teenagers and to collect witness statements, if possible, but was unable to due to the status of the victims. \n \nCamden, Glynn, McIntosh Work Section \n \nSgt. David Brady \n \nIn July of 2021, GW's Zach Griffis, Matt Thompson, and Sgt. David Brady worked a drowning recovery with Glynn County off Frederica River regarding a male subject that had fallen off his sailing vessel, became entangled in the lines of the vessel and was unable to recover himself from the water. A group of boaters spotted the activity and called 911. Once on-scene, GW's secured the vessel, recovered the body and transported the victim to a nearby marina where the body was turned over to the Coroner. \n \nAlso in July of 2021, GW Zach Griffis and Sgt. David Brady were conducting a concentrated patrol for inbound offshore vessels in McIntosh County when Griffis and Brady conducted a vessel stop and inspection of a 25-foot recreational fishing vessel. During the vessel check, GW Griffis boarded the vessel and inspected the compartments on the boat while talking to the captain and occupants. The vessel check resulted in the seizure of 10 illegally possessed red snapper (closed season) and 2 undersize black sea bass. The captain and occupants were charged federally for the violations. Later in the month, GW's Zach Griffis, Matt Thompson, and David Brady contacted another vessel with illegally caught red snapper and black sea bass as well. \n \n41 \n \n In September of 2021, Game Warden Errol Hall and Corporal Colte Shaske were working local Wildlife Management Area (WMA) for early season activity. They investigated a case where a man had killed a whitetail deer illegally and contacted the suspect and located the illegally killed deer. In the fall of 2021, Corporal Colte Shaske and Corporal Jay Bright were working a complaint area and set up surveillance of a tidal creek where individuals had previously set gill nets underneath a bridge to trap fish as the creek rose and fell on the tides. After several hours of surveillance, the suspects were apprehended checking the nets for fish. In December of 2021, Game Warden Matt Tsiklistas and Corporal Jay Bright were working an area in McIntosh County where a subject was collecting and harvesting oyster culch for commercial gain to sell to landowners for driveways and decorative uses. The suspect had violated the Marshland Protection Act by excavating the marsh for over 25 bags of oyster culch. The case was investigated by LED Game Wardens and Compliance \u0026 Enforcement from Coastal Resources Division. The suspect was served a civil notice for violation of marshland protection act. In January of 2022, GW's Zach Griffis, Matt Tsiklistas and Corporal Jay Bright were working and area in McIntosh County for night deer hunting activity when a vehicle passed by shining a spotlight from the window. GWs initiated a traffic stop and determined the subjects were night deer hunting. Upon further investigation, GW's and the Sheriff's Office found the suspects to be in possession of Fentanyl and several other dangerous drugs. The suspects were charged with hunting deer at night, hunting from motor vehicle, hunting from a public road and Violation of Georgia Controlled Substance Act. \nIn February of 2022, Corporal Colte Shaske assisted the Camden County Sheriff's Office with a vehicle stop on i95. During the traffic stop, Corporal Shaske located 13 iguanas that had come from south Florida and were being transported to South Carolina. Corporal Shaske assisted the Sheriff's Office and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with the animal cruelty case and a deeper investigation by USFWS into the suspects and their involvement into other criminal activity. In March of 2022, GW's Matt Tsiklistas, Lucas Barnard and Sgt. David Brady were patrolling offshore waters when they conducted a vessel check on a 20-foot vessel that was fishing offshore. GW Tsiklistas boarded the vessel and determined that the two men were in possession of 49 undersize black sea bass. The case was turned over to National Marine Fisheries for prosecution by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. \n42 \n \n Investigative Unit \nThe Investigative Unit (IU) is comprised of two full-time investigators, two detached investigators and one Intelligence Analyst. The IU is responsible for undercover investigations, administration of the Critical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT), the Marine Theft Unit (MTU) as well as investigation assistance to the Special Permit Unit (SPU). The primary function of the Investigative Unit is to provide field Game Wardens with investigative support. The Investigative Unit is able to fulfill this mission with the support of 13 Game Wardens that perform a collateral duty called \"Regional Investigator\". Regional Investigators assist the IU with overt and covert investigations. The IU also serves the field as a central point of contact for information sharing on a statewide level. In 2021, the Investigative Unit's Criminal Intelligence Analyst completed her Level 2 training which significantly expanded her support capabilities. Over the past 2 years all investigators and Analyst have completed the ZetX 40 Hour Advanced Cellular Investigations and Geofence Training. This technology is requested and used daily not only by Georgia Game Wardens but also by state prosecutors, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and countless police and sheriff's departments. Through this assistance, the Investigative Unit and the Department has strengthened working relationships with other law enforcement agencies throughout the state - benefiting Georgia law enforcement and more importantly, the citizens we serve. \nUndercover Investigations The Investigative Unit is responsible for undercover investigations which are used when traditional enforcement methods would be problematic or unsuccessful. The Regional Investigators are full-time Game Wardens who have received training in undercover operations and equipment and are used throughout the state as needed. \nLast year, the Investigative Unit conducted and managed 547 investigations and calls for assistance from the field and from other agencies (both in and out-of-state). These investigations were comprised of assistance with search warrants, intelligence gathering, buy/bust and both short and long-term investigations. The focus of many of these investigations included the sale or possession of wildlife and wild animals. These violations are difficult to address without the aid of undercover officers. \nCritical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT) Georgia has 13 CIRT investigators assigned throughout the state. CIRT investigates fatality and serious injury boating, hunting and state park incidents. Each investigator receives specialized training on investigating and presenting these cases. Last year, CIRT was activated to investigate 6 boating incidents, 3 hunting incidents and one fatality on a State Park. \nMarine Theft Unit (MTU) The primary function of the MTU is to assist law enforcement officers in the field. The MTU conducts computer database and offline searches, hidden hull identification number location assistance and assists with locating and recovering stolen vessels. The MTU also serves as the point of contact for customers as well as court systems related to the abandoned vessel process. Last year, the MTU received 122 abandoned vessel/stolen boat requests from the public and field. MTU also fielded numerous phone calls related to the abandoned vessel process. This past year, the MTU was inundated with reports of stolen vessels. The unit has worked and accomplished in recovering 9 of these stolen vessels. \n43 \n \n Special Permits Unit \n \nThe Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division, Special Permits Unit issued and maintained 2,701 permits and collected approximately $70,155.00 in generated fees, for the following: \n \n Alligator Farm License  Commercial Fox Hunting Preserve License (Fox \nPen)  Commercial Turtle Farm Permit  Dog Deer Permit  Fee Exempt Wild Animal License  Fee Exempt Wildlife Exhibition License  Film Production Wildlife Permit  Import /Exports Permit \nK-9 Unit \n \n Nuisance Wildlife Control Government Agency Permit \n Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator Permit \n Scientific Collecting Permit  Wild Animal Regulated Fish \nLicense  Wild Animal License  Wildlife Exhibition License  \n \nThe Division continues to use K-9s to enhance patrol efforts by \n \nGame Wardens and to provide assistance to other agencies for man \n \ntracking and article searches. The dogs and their handlers are \n \ncertified in Man-tracking, Apprehension, Article Recovery and \n \nWildlife Detection, and the Unit played a part in numerous cases \n \nduring the year, including assisting the GBI in 15 death \n \ninvestigations. The complete unit participated in 96 hours of in- \n \nservice training. One notable case occurred in November of 2021 \n \nwhen Sgt. Greg Wade received a complaint about a large buck being \n \nillegally taken by a subject in Brooks County. He went to the area \n \nwhere the subject had supposedly shot the deer, deployed K-9 Cuff, \n \nand gave the command to search the area for wildlife. Cuff quickly \n \nlocated a small pool of blood 90 yards off the roadway. After taking \n \nsamples of the blood, Sgt. Wade located \n \nthe deer at a local taxidermist and seized \n \nit. He sent samples of the hide and the \n \nblood to Florida FWC's lab for DNA \n \nanalysis. The lab confirmed that the \n \nsamples were a match. After warrants \n \nwere secured, on March 30th, 2022, the \n \nsubject was arrested and charged for \n \nhunting without a license, hunting without \n \nbig game license, hunting from a public \n \nroad, hunting from a motor vehicle, \n \nhunting without permission, and \n \nSgt. Wade and K-9 Cuff with the illegally taken deer. \n \npossession of a firearm by a convicted felon. \n \nCpl. Keith Page and K-9 Rio locate a subject hunting on a closed WMA. \nFY2022 K-9/Handler Teams \nSgt. Brooks Varnell and K-9 Taz Cpl. Tim Hutto and K-9 Titan Cpl. Eric Isom and K-9 Bo Sgt. Greg Wade and K-9 Cuff Cpl. Keith Page and K-9 Rio GWFC Jack Thain and K-9 Case \n \n44 \n \nGW Jared Wood and K-9 Judge \n \n Training Unit \n36th Game Warden Academy The 36th Game Warden Academy began on January 9th at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center. During the 23-week academy, the cadets completed their Basic Peace Officer Certification as well as the Game Warden Academy. 18 cadets began the training with 1 deciding to voluntarily withdraw during week 7 of the academy. The remaining 17 cadets graduated on June 17th and are currently out on Field Training in their Regions of assignment. \nIn-Service Training In the fall of 2021, the Division conducted fall firearms in-service training here at GPSTC. The training consisted of Deadly Force and De-Escalation Training, Simulator Training, and weapons training to include the G-45 9mm pistol and 870 duty shotgun. Spring firearms re-qualifications were also held at the training center for the state during March and April. The department was able to add enough Taser X2's to its inventory that allowed for the certification and equipping of all field level Game Wardens from the rank of field sergeant and below. Currently, the Division has 175 Taser X2's assigned in the field. Taser certification is now part of the academy curriculum and cadets are exposed and certified during the week of defensive tactics. Additional in-service training conducted throughout the year was the Governor's Initiative Community Oriented Policing training. This year's training topic was Mental and Emotional Wellness. Other annual in-service training included statewide NASBLA Seated Battery and Standardized Field Sobriety refresher, Taser re-certification, and a legislative update. \n45 \n \n The Division will be completing our annual fall firearms in-service during the months of September, October, November, and December at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center. There two full days of training will include the Use of Force Lab, the Use of Force and Deescalation training programs, and rifle training. \nDuring this past year, the DNR Law Enforcement Division Recruitment Team was formed to assist the department with recruiting more qualified applicants. The team is made up of 9 Game Wardens from across the state that will help identify and develop new recruiting strategies. Since the current hiring process is lengthy, a recruitment team member will be assigned to the applicant for the duration of the process to answer questions and be a point of contact. 37th Game Warden Academy The hiring process for the 37th Game Warden Academy is nearing the finish line. The applicants have met the departments hiring standards and are now awaiting P.O.S.T. to approve their applications. If all goes as planned, the department will have 22 cadets starting the Basic Mandate Academy on September 26th here at GPSTC with a graduation date of December 16th. The cadets will then begin the Game Warden Academy on January 8, 2023, and graduate on April 21, 2023. \nSOG Team In May 2022, the LED Special Operations Group (SOG) received gas mask training at the GPSTC. Eighteen SOG team members were issued new Avon PC50 riot gas masks and trained on proper gas mask techniques. The training covered donning, clearing, and doffing procedures as well as CS gas exposure. The SOG is the first division asset that is deployed on any civil disturbance response. \nTraining Academy Staff \nL-R: Captain Mitch Oliver, Debra Hollar, Joe Talaber \n46 \n \n Aviation Unit \nThe LED Aviation Support Unit supports all DNR Divisions and other state agencies utilizing three Bell 407GX/GXi helicopters. This past year, the Aviation Unit flew 500 hours in support of the Division's Game Wardens as they conducted their core mission of protecting the states waterways and woodland areas. This consisted of flying support throughout the hunting season from early fall through early spring. \n \nGame Wardens were flown on county surveys looking for baited food plots, duck ponds and illegal shrimping along the Georgia coast. Flight support was also provided for Operation Dry Water, night deer poaching/spotlighting patrols, and searches for missing persons and drowning victims across the state. \n \n Sgt. Chase Altman  Cpl. Kiel Toney  GWFC Clint Jarriel  GWFC Jeffery Turner \n \nThe Wildlife Resource Division (WRD) was provided aviation support during surveys of Bald Eagles, Kestrel, Sandhill Cranes, Red Knots, and waterfowl. Capt. Jaye Bridwell flew these same flights along the Georgia coast in addition to surveys for sea turtles, dolphins, and the tagging of manatee. Night missions for illegal shrimping activity were also conducted along the coastline. \nIn addition to the WRD surveys, Lt. Jamie Allen flew multiple missions assisting the Game Management Section and the Wildlife Conservation Section with prescribed burns on the State WMA's during the late winter months of January through March 2022. \nAdditionally, the Aviation Unit was actively involved with responding to multiple disaster areas as a result of tornados and inclement weather which caused widespread damage across the state. \n \nEconomic development flights continued in several areas throughout the state in support of the Governor's Office and the Georgia Department of Economic Development. The Aviation Unit also assisted other State and Federal law enforcement agencies utilizing the three Bell 407 Helicopters in support of various missions throughout the state. \n \n47 \n \n Honor Guard \nHonor Guard Commander  Capt. Derek Dillard LED HQ  Maj. Bob Holley Region 1 - Cpl. Russell Epps, Cpl. Brock Hoyt, Cpl. Philip Stout, GWFC Stetson Stevens Region 2  Sgt. Brooks Varnell, Sgt. Cody Jones, Cpl. Dan Schay, GWFC Jeffery Turner Region 3  Sgt. Travis Sweat, Cpl. Ben Payne, GWFC Lamar Burns, GWFC Westin Rabon Region 4  GWFC Jordan Usher, GWFC Luke Rabun Region 5  Sgt. Jeremy Bolen, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Dean Gibson, GWFC K.P. Boatright Region 6  Sgt. Chase Altman, Sgt. David Brady, Cpl. Tim Morris, Cpl. Daniel North, GWFC Zac Griffis \nHonor Guard Details  July 27, 2021  Funeral detail for Wildlife Tech. 3 Ken Martin in Waycross, Georgia. Maj. Bob Holley, Sgt. David Brady and Cpl. Dan Schay participated in the detail and presented the State flag to his family.  August 21, 2021  Presentation of Colors for the DNR LED Awards Banquet at Indian Springs State Park. Sgt. Brooks Varnell, Sgt. Travis Sweat, Cpl. Scott Carroll and Cpl. Ben Payne participated in the ceremony.  September 22, 2021  Funeral detail for retired Game Warden Corporal Charles Sims in Greensboro, Georgia. Sgt. Travis Sweat, Cpl. Ben Payne and Cpl. Dan Schay participated in the detail and presented the flag to his family.  December 2, 2021  Presentation of Colors for the DNR LED and US Army PAY's Ceremony at DNR LED Headquarters in Social Circle. Cpl. Ben Payne and Cpl. Dan Schay participated in the ceremony along with two members of the US Army.  June 14-15, 2022  Conducted annual honor guard training for all new and current members who remain on the honor guard at the GPSTC in Forsyth, Georgia.  June 16, 2022  Funeral visitation detail for retired Sergeant Gerald Kersey in Jackson, Georgia. GWFC Westin Rabon participated in the detail.  June 17, 2022  Funeral detail for retired Sergeant Gerald Kersey in Jackson, Georgia. GWFC Lamar Burns, GWFC Stetson Stevens and GWFC Westin Rabon participated in the detail and presented his family the flag.  June 17, 2022  Presentation of Colors for the DNR LED Game Warden Academy Graduation Ceremony at the GPSTC in Forsyth, Georgia. Sgt. Jeremy Bolen, Sgt. Travis Sweat, Sgt. David Brady, Sgt. Cody Jones, Cpl. Dan Schay and Cpl. Scott Carroll participated in the ceremony. \n48 \n \n Chaplains \nThe 14 members of the DNR Law Enforcement Division Chaplain Corps currently serve four of the state's seven Regions. \nThe DNR Chaplains are non-sworn volunteers who support the mission of DNR in providing a source of strength to sworn and non-sworn members of the Agency, their families, and the community. The program supports employees in the handling of crisis situations, comforts victims and their families when incidents occur, and provides counseling and other ministerial functions that may be needed. \nDNR Chaplains \nRegion I Rev. Brandon Brooks Rev. Danny Cochran Rev. Tac Coley Dr. Rudy Ross \nRegion II Rev. Michael Burgamy \nRegion III Dr. Marc Crandlemire Rev. John Haney Dr. Rick Lanford Rev. Joel Vinson, Sr. \nRegion IV Rev. Chip Strickland Rev. Stacy Phillips \nRegion V Rev. Daryl Brown \nRegion VI Rev. Charles Houston, Jr. Rev. Gregory Loskoski \n49 \n \n Promotions: \nGW 2 Lucas Barnard GW 2 Errol Hall GW 2 Adam Kimbrough GW 2 Connor Moon GW 2 Skyler Redmond GW 2 Matthew Thompson GW 2 Jordan Usher GWFC 1 Drew Beverly GWFC 1 Austin Biggers GWFC 1 Saxon Campbell GWFC 1 Greg Castelli GWFC 1 Blake Chafin GWFC 1 Andrew Crider GWFC 1 Kyle Faulknor GWFC 1 Erin McDade GWFC 1 Savannah Miller GWFC 1 Evan Nobles GWFC 1 Aaron Powell GWFC 1 Luke Rabun GWFC 1 Quintin Reed GWFC 1 Stetson Stevens GWFC 1 Levi Thompson GWFC 1 Jason Warren GWFC 1 Jared Wood GWFC 2 Mark Moyer GWFC 2 Jason Harrison GWFC 2 Tim Morris GWFC 2 Doug Chambers GWFC 2 Judd Sears GWFC 2 Randell Meeks GWFC 2 Lamar Burns Cpl. Roger McConkey Cpl. Kalem Burns Cpl. Tyler Lewis Cpl. Philip Stout Cpl. Russell Epps Cpl. Robert Stillwell Cpl. Cameron Dyal Cpl. Clint Jarriel Cpl. Thomas Sibley Cpl. Logan South Cpl. Dean Gibson Cpl. Tim Morris Cpl. Jonathan Segars Sgt. Bubba Stanford Sgt. Bart Hendrix Sgt. Casey Jones Sgt. Clint Martin Sgt. Chase Altman Sgt. Keith Waddell Sgt. Byron Young Cpt. James McLaughlin Cpt. Mitch Oliver Major Bob Holley Lt. Col. Mike England \n \nRetirements: \nCpl. Tony Wynne Cpl. Dan Stiles Sgt. Brian Keener Sgt. Steve Seitz Sgt. Phillip Scott Sgt. Lee Brown Sgt. Patrick Dupree Sgt. Brian Carter Sgt. Brian Hobbins Cpt. Steven Turner Cpt. Mike Burgamy Lt. Col. Johnny Johnson \n \nActivity Summary \nHunter Ed Hours I\u0026E Hours Boating Safety Hours \n \nFY2022 1,293 3,476 349 \n \nTotal Programs \nLand \u0026 Water SAR Hours \n \n5,118 3,410 \n \nHunting Incidents \n \n30 \n \nBoating Incidents \n \n120 \n \nDrownings \n \n48 \n \nBUIs \n \n297 \n \nHunting License Checks Fishing License Checks Total License Checks \n \n26,905 31,689 58,594 \n \nBoat Checks \n \n21,142 \n \nBoating Contacts Hunting Contacts Fishing Contacts Environmental Contacts \n \n6,338 4,681 3,051 \n806 \n \nTotal Contacts \n \n14,876 \n \n50 \n \n 51 \n \n 52 \n \n "},{"id":"dlg_ggpd_928937116-2021","title":"Law Enforcement Division 2021annual report.","collection_id":"dlg_ggpd","collection_title":"Georgia Government Publications","dcterms_contributor":null,"dcterms_spatial":["United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018"],"dcterms_creator":["Georgia. Department of Natural Resources (1972- ). Law Enforcement Division, author."],"dc_date":["2021"],"dcterms_description":["Description based on: FY 2013 (online surrogate); title from PDF cover (Georgia Government Publications database, viewed November 12, 2015).","Latest issue consulted: FY 2015."],"dc_format":["application/pdf"],"dcterms_identifier":null,"dcterms_language":["eng"],"dcterms_publisher":["[Social Circle, Georgia] : [Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division], [2013]-"],"dc_relation":null,"dc_right":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dcterms_is_part_of":null,"dcterms_subject":["Georgia.--Department of Natural Resources (1972- ).--Law Enforcement Division--Periodicals.","Georgia.--Department of Natural Resources (1972- ).--Law Enforcement Division--fast","Wildlife management--Law and legislation--Georgia--Periodicals.","Recreation areas--Georgia--Periodicals.","Recreation areas","Wildlife management--Law and legislation","Georgia","Georgia Government Documents--Serial"],"dcterms_title":["Law Enforcement Division 2021annual report."],"dcterms_type":["Text"],"dcterms_provenance":["University of Georgia. Map and Government Information Library"],"edm_is_shown_by":["https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:dlg_ggpd_928937116-2021"],"edm_is_shown_at":["https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:dlg_ggpd_928937116-2021"],"dcterms_temporal":null,"dcterms_rights_holder":null,"dcterms_bibliographic_citation":null,"dlg_local_right":null,"dcterms_medium":["state government records"],"dcterms_extent":null,"dlg_subject_personal":null,"iiif_manifest_url_ss":null,"dcterms_subject_fast":null,"fulltext":"Commissioner Mark Williams \n \nDirector Colonel Thomas \nBarnard \n \n Headquarters \n \nColonel Thomas Barnard, Director \n \nMajor Stephen Adams \n \nLt. Colonel Mike England, Assistant Director \n31 \n \nMajor Bob Holley \n \n Headquarters Support Staff \n \nLt. Wayne Hubbard \n \nLt. Wanda Roberts \n \nLt. Judd Smith \n \nKim Cato \n \nJen Hammonds \n \nJamie Hawkins \n \nMark McKinnon \n \nAshley Moon \n \nTaye Pierce \n \nSharon Sims \n \nShannon Witcher \n32 \n \n The Vision of the Law Enforcement Division is to ensure that Georgia's natural resources will be conserved for our present and future generations. The Mission of the Law Enforcement Division is to conserve our natural resources and to protect the people we serve. We maintain public support through fair and vigorous law enforcement, quality education, and community involvement. We commit ourselves to our Vision and Mission by practicing our core beliefs, which are trust, fairness and professionalism. \nHeadquarters \nThe Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division, currently has 199 POST-certified Game Wardens with statewide authority and full arrest powers and 24 non-sworn staff members. The primary duties of these Game Wardens are enforcement of all laws and regulations pertaining to hunting, fishing, commercial fishing, environmental violations, and recreational boating, as well as to provide public safety on all our DNR-controlled properties. The Law Enforcement Division operates with a straight-line chain of command. It consists of the Colonel, Lt. Colonel, two Majors, eight Captains (6 Region Supervisors, 1 Training Director, 1 Pilot), seven Lieutenants (database management, special permits/captive wildlife and wild animals, boating law administrator and administrative support, professional standards, investigations, 2 pilots), and 142 field Game Wardens (Sergeants, Corporals, Game Wardens First Class, and Game Wardens). \n33 \n \n Vehicles \u0026 Equipment Throughout the year, the Law Enforcement Division acquired some new vehicles and equipment, utilizing funding from various sources. Forty-three new 4x4 patrol vehicles were purchased for field personnel. New equipment included the ballistic bump helmets for the Special Operations Group, gas masks and new body armor for select personnel, three UTVs and nine patrol boats. \nRanger Hotline The Ranger Hotline program, which provides a way for citizens to report anonymously potentially illegal wildlife and other conservation law violations, continues to be successful. If the information leads to an arrest, the tipster receives a cash reward funded by the Georgia Natural Resource Foundation, whose mission is to protect wildlife by increasing public support for wildlife law enforcement. Last year, 363 tips were received for various violations. \nOTHER SPECIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUES \nCrime Suppression This past fiscal year has seen a huge increase in illegal street racing and crime in the City of Atlanta. Governor Brian Kemp initiated a collaborative effort between the Department of Natural Resources, Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Atlanta Police Department, Fulton County Sheriff's Office, and the City of South Fulton, to assist in the city on weekends with the objective of cracking down on criminal activity and illegal street racing in and around Atlanta. From April 9th through June 13th, the operation resulted in 4,246 vehicle stops, 142 pursuits, 127 DUIs, 62 wanted persons, 95 reckless driving, 15 stolen guns, 2,915 citations/arrests, 250 impounded vehicles, 3,054 warnings, and five drug arrests. Game Wardens from across the state continue to be deployed on Saturdays and Sundays into FY 2022. \nCOVID-19 As the year progressed, the COVID-19 Pandemic continued, but with the distribution of vaccine, law enforcement offices statewide began to return to normal operation. The Division is still committed to supporting the Georgia Department of Public Health and other agencies as long as necessary in the fight against COVID-19. \nJEA Patrols The Joint Agreement #19 between Georgia DNR and NOAA Office of Law Enforcement called for GADNR enforcement personnel to provide a total of 1,604 hours of marine law enforcement or related work under the agreement. Georgia has 5 Execution Priorities. They are Endangered Species, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, National Marine Sanctuaries Act, Marine Mammal Right Whale, and Lacey Act/International (IUU). \nVessel patrol hours targeted the following areas: 1) shrimp trawlers checking for TED compliance, 2) intercepts of recreational and commercial fishing vessels returning to Georgia seaports from fishing trips in federal waters, 3) offshore patrols to Special Management Zones and Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, 4) concentrations of fishing vessels wherever they occur in the Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent to the State of Georgia, 5) intercepts of recreational fishing vessels for Red Snapper compliance, and 6) Inspection of shipping container at the Georgia Ports. These patrols resulted in 6 state charges and 12 Federal Cases sent to NOAA OLE. \n34 \n \n Public Affairs Media Relations and Public Outreach As the COVID-19 pandemic continued, media news conferences and ride-alongs with Game Wardens were limited. News releases, radio and TV interviews, and social media posts were the primary information channels for the start of the boating and hunting seasons, \"Operation Dry Water,\" and the July 4th Holiday weekend to promote safe boating and swimming safety and to educate citizens on boating laws and how they are applied. Additionally, news releases, I \u0026 E presentations and speeches to various civic groups, and regular news media interviews and interaction were utilized throughout the year to disseminate information to the public on the Division's hunting, fishing, and boating enforcement efforts, and awards and recognitions received by game wardens. Social Media LED manages a Facebook page that is over 76,000 page \"Likes\" (people who regularly view the page). Many of LED's Facebook posts have a \"Reach\" (number of people who may see the post through their friends who \"Like\" the page) that exceeds 100,000, and occasionally, some are above 500,000. The Division also has an Instagram account with over 7,500 followers, a Twitter account that currently has over 1,700 followers, and a YouTube Channel with multiple safety-related videos that has over 600 subscribers. \n35 \n \n Previous Game Wardens of the Year \n \nWilliam Powell W.D. Hill, Jr. Michael Bone William Vickers Dan Parrish Ronald Bailey Ralph Sheppard Roger D. Garrison James McDaniel Doug Lewis Terry West W. Howard Hensley, Jr. Dennis Aderholt Bill Bunch Arvid Edwards Mitchell H. Yeargin Jeff Weaver Mike Commander Phillip Scott Stanley Elrod Rick Sellars \n \n1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 \n \nDavid Ruddell Derek Dillard Mike Barr Harry E. Akins Eric Brown John Murphy Shane Sartor Mike Binion Brian Hobbins Cindy Miller Timothy Butler Jason Roberson David Webb Greg Wade Casey Jones Eddie Tompkins Brian Adams Cody Jones Quinn Fogle Ryan Locke \n \n2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 \n \n36 \n \n Region I- Acworth \nRegion I is comprised of 28 Northwest Georgia and metro Atlanta counties. The territory expansion now includes four major impoundments, seven major rivers, 10 State Parks, 21 Wildlife Management Areas consisting of 266,852 acres and 173,000 acres of US Forest Service lands, and 2,440 miles of trout streams. The region is patrolled by 36 Game Wardens. \nRegion Office Personnel Changes Captain Derek Dillard was promoted to Acworth, Region 1 supervisor after the transfer of Captain Burgamy. The Administrative Assistant is Joyce Holland and Sherry Rollins fills the Administration Support position. Sergeant Brian Keener retired as the Administrative Sergeant. \nThe \"Mountain Work Section\" of Region I is comprised of Catoosa, Gilmer, Gordon, Murray, Pickens, and Whitfield Counties. Section assignments are as follows: Cpl. Casey Jones  Murray, GW Mark Moyer  Whitfield, GW Kalem Burns  Gilmer, GW Travis Shrader  Catoosa, GW Will Smith  Pickens, GW Ryan Thomas  Fort Mt. State Park, and supervisory Sgt. James Keener. The section covers a vast area of both state-owned or controlled properties as well as large expanses of National Forest Lands. Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the section include Blue Ridge, Rich Mt., Cartecay Tract, Cohutta, Coosawattee, Carter's Lake Tract, Conasauga River, John's Mt., and McEntire VPA. Wardens also patrol the section's main body of water, Carter's Lake, as well as many other smaller impoundments, rivers, and creeks. State Parks and Historic Sites in the section include Fort Mt., Chief Vann House, New Echota, and Resaca Battlefield. \nCpl. Casey Jones, GW Ryan Thomas, and GW Travis Shrader after closing an investigation that resulted in multiple violations in Whitfield County. Violations included two counts of hunting from a public road, four counts of hunting from a motor vehicle, four counts of hunting out of season, four counts of hunting without permission, two counts of hunting deer at night, one count of unlawful enticement of game and one count of hunting big game over bait (turkey). \n37 \n \n Left and center: Bears were killed over bait in Gilmer County in September of 2020 and confiscated by GW Kalem Burns. The undersized bear on the right was taken from Cohutta WMA and was confiscated by GW Travis Schrader. \nThe Allatoona section consists of Sgt. Brooks Varnell, Cpl. Byron Young, Cpl. Bart Hendrix, Game Warden Frank Pucci, Game Warden Tyler Lewis, Game Warden Philip Stout, Game Warden Steven Martinez, and Game Warden David Wright. The Allatoona section welcomed its newest Game Warden David Wright into the section after graduating from the academy. Through several weeklong investigations Game Warden Tyler Lewis was able to prove the illegal taking of a massive buck which led to several charges as well as the confiscation of the antlers. Cpl. Byron Young, through quick response and excellent Game Warden skills, was able to locate a suspect and the large deer killed illegally on federal property in Bartow County. Game Warden Frank Pucci was named the Boating Safety Officer of the Year for the State of Georgia. Game Warden Tyler Lewis was named the Torch Award winner for not only the State of Georgia but for the entire Southeastern United States. The entire section worked tirelessly in Boating Under the Influence enforcement which led to more BUI cases made this season than in over three decades. After the hunting season Cpl. Byron Young was able to transfer sections and is now assigned to Floyd County where he will now patrol the northwest section of the state. \n38 \n \n Sgt. Ben Cunningham was promoted to supervise Floyd, Polk, Chattooga, Walker, and Dade Counties on March 1st, 2021, and on April 1, 2021, Cpl. Byron Young transferred to Floyd County from Bartow County. The other officers in the section are Corporal Chad Cox and Game Wardens Roger McConkey, Carla Gann, Jason Warren, Andrew Crider, and Kyle Faulknor. \nThe Georgia Chapter of Safari Club International (SCI) was proud to host wounded veterans for a deer hunt on Saturday, December 12, 2020, in Cedartown, GA. For most of the veterans, this was their first deer hunt. After a warm welcome introduction and a safety talk from Sgt. Ben Cunningham and Cpl. Chad Cox, veterans were treated to lunch and then headed for the shooting range where they familiarized themselves with the rifle they would be hunting with that afternoon. \nThe West Point Section includes Meriwether, Troup, Heard, Pike, Fayette, Spalding, Henry, and Clayton Counties and is supervised by Sergeant Mitch Oliver. The Game Wardens in this work unit patrol West Point Lake along with sections of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. Several state-owned properties are also located within the work section including 3 Wildlife Management Areas, and 2 State Parks. Game Wardens assigned to this work unit are, Game Warden Charles Follin, Game Warden Austin Biggers, Game Warden Hunter Bowman, Game Warden First Class Russell Epps, Cpl. Keith Page, and Corporal Keith Waddell. \nGame Warden Austin Biggers was assigned to Pike County on June 25th, 2021. Before this assignment, Game Warden Biggers was previously assigned to Telfair County since Jan 2019. In June 2021, Game Warden Biggers was nominated for the Region IV Torch Award. \n39 \n \n Game Warden Hunter Bowman completed the Game Warden Academy in July 2020 and is currently assigned to Troup County. In 2021, Game Warden Bowman was nominated for the Region 1 Torch Award. He was able to apprehend a suspect in Clayton County for hunting geese out of season with a pellet rifle. His other notable cases included a lengthy investigation involving a commercial trash collection truck dumping an egregious amount of waste on private property. Game Warden Bowman was able to identify and arrest two individuals for misdemeanor high and aggravated dumping charges. \nGame Warden First Class Russell Epps is assigned to Heard County, he is a member of the Critical Incident Reconstruction Team and is a certified POST Instructor. Game Warden Epps assisted with the instruction of 35th Game Warden Academy Class where he taught Emergency Vehicle Operations, Use of Force, Wildlife, and officer Water Survival. Pictured right is one of the vessel incidents Epps assisted working on West Point Lake. \nCorporal Keith Page is currently assigned to Spalding County. Corporal Page is an active K9 officer with the department with officer Rio as his K9 and routinely travels outside the work section to assist. In March 2021 K9 Rio was utilized to apprehend multiple turkey hunters found to be hunting over bait. After tracking the hunters back to the location of the hunt, K9 Rio was also deployed to locate evidence at the scene. Rio successfully located, 2 spent shotshells, feathers, and blood at two different kill sites along with the wads from the shells confirming the shot directions. After being confronted with the evidence located by Rio, both hunters confessed to baiting the area prior to hunting and killing two turkeys over the bait. The parts of the turkeys pictured were seized to be used as K9 training items in the future. \n40 \n \n Corporal Keith Waddell is assigned to Meriwether County, he is a member of the DNR Special Operations Group, and is a camera operator for DNR Aviation. Cpl. Waddell apprehended numerous violators for hunting migratory game birds over bait, after hours, and possession over the limit of game fish. \nThe Southwest Section of Region I is supervised by Sergeant Eric Brown. The area includes Haralson, Paulding, Carroll, Douglas, Fulton, and Coweta Counties. The officers in the section are Corporals Daniel Gray and Zack Hardy and Game Wardens Garrett Pownall, Ryan Shorter, and Brock Hoyt. Corporal Daniel Gray was the recipient of the 2021 National Wild Turkey Officer of the Year for State. On July 15th, 2020, Cpl. Zack Hardy and Cpl. Daniel Gray responded to the Johns Creek area of Fulton County. The Estates at Johns Creek apartment complex had what appeared to be a poisoning case involving 25 geese that live/visit the two ponds on the site. Cpl. Hardy began gathering evidence and Cpl. Gray and the Urban Game Management group began collecting the deceased geese for transport to UGA for testing purposes. There were three baited sites (whole corn) that were also found and collected for evidence and testing. In conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division after multiple interviews with the suspect, the suspect and company were charged with multiple violations. \nOn October 25th, 2021, GWFC Ryan Shorter and GWFC Brock Hoyt investigated a hunter that was illegally hunting on Sweetwater Creek State Park and was accessing the park by vessel from the Chattahoochee River. Game Wardens located the individual and took him into custody. The subject was charged for hunting on a closed state park, hunting without orange, recording a harvested deer in the wrong county, operating a vessel without lights in hours of darkness, operating a vessel with insufficient PFDs, and operating a motor vehicle as an unlicensed driver. \n41 \n \n November 30th, 2020, GWFC Ryan Shorter received information about a giant buck that had been killed in Coweta County. Game Warden Shorter and Cpl. Daniel Gray investigated the buck that was harvested and was able to discover that the deer had been illegally taken by a non-resident from Florida. Game Warden Shorter worked with Florida FWC officers to locate and contact the subject. The subject was charged for hunting without a non-resident license and hunting without a non-resident big game license, and the buck was confiscated. The landowner, where the deer was killed, was cited for tagging the buck on his harvest record. \nOn January 13th, 2021, GW Hoyt completed a case against a repeat poacher who had previously been caught by Game Wardens. He was charged with 4 counts of hunting without permission, 4 counts of hunting without a license, 4 counts of hunting big game over bait (without landowner permission), and 2 counts of operating an unregistered vehicle on a public road. Hoyt worked with local police agencies to perform a search warrant on the subject's residence. The search warrant yielded 2 counts of a convicted felon in possession of firearms and 1 charge for possession of a schedule 1 narcotic. With the assistance of Sgt Eric Brown, Cpl. Daniel Gray, GW Ryan Shorter, and GW Garrett Pownall, Hoyt was able to catch the subject coming out of the woods. He was booked in Fulton County Jail on the 5th charge of hunting without permission and multiple outstanding warrants. \nOn February 1st, 2021, Game Warden Brock Hoyt and Corporal Zack Hardy closed a long-standing trapping case. The investigation yielded violations on 5 subjects that were delinquent in their commercial trapping status for 10 years. There were 22 contacts filed to include operating without commercial trapping licenses', operating without nuisance control permits', multiple counts of not tagging traps, not checking traps every 24 hours, and several other nuisance permit violations. \nOn March 21st, 2021, Cpl. Daniel Gray and Sgt Eric Brown located a truck while patrolling for turkey hunting activity in Haralson County. The truck had a dead gobbler in the back of it. Cpl. Gray recognized the vehicle as a vehicle Cpl. Zack Hardy was trying to locate on March 20th, 2021, for killing a turkey over bait in Paulding County. Cpl. Gray and Sgt. Brown located the two hunters hunting turkey over bait on this property in Haralson and both hunters were charged for hunting turkeys over bait. Cpl. Hardy then came to our location and was able to interview the subject to who the truck belonged to and charged him for killing the dead turkey in the back in his truck the day before over bait in Paulding County. \n42 \n \n Region II- Gainesville \nL-R front row: Secretary Tasha Lamb, Capt. Derek Dillard, GW2 Taylor Gilmore, GWFC1 Savannah Miller, GWFC1 Ethan Franklin, GWFC2 Matt Johnson, Cpl. Craig Fulghum, AOC Brenda Tanner. L-R Back row: GWFC2 Jason Harrison, Cpl. Kevin Godbee, Cpl. Tim Butler, Cpl. Joe Hill, GWFC2 Mark Stephens, Cpl. Shane Brown, Sgt. Casey Jones, Sgt. Mark Patterson, GWFC1 Jeffery Turner, Cpl. Cody Jones, GWFC1 Bryan Price, Sgt. Tim Vickery and GWFC2 Brandon Pierce Not pictured: Sgt. Adam Loudermilk, Sgt. Jason Roberson, Cpl. Beth Gilbert, Cpl. Dan Schay, Cpl. Anne Wiley, GWFC Kevin Goss, GWFC Ryan Locke, GWFC Phillip Nelson, GWFC Ryan Cleveland, GWFC Noah Osborne, GW Jared Wood and GW Adam Kimbrough. \nThe Gainesville Region is comprised of 26 Northeast Georgia Counties which include part of the metro Atlanta area. Within these counties are 10 major impoundments, three major rivers, 16 Wildlife Management Areas, 220 miles of trout streams, 23 State Park Properties, and 328,500 acres of National Forest lands. The impoundments receive over 20 million visitors annually while the state parks and WMAs receive another three million. The tremendous amount of visitation and use on these properties, as well as private property usage, creates a great deal of diverse law enforcement issues that the 35 Game Wardens of this region continually address. \n43 \n \n Region II Game Wardens continued their support of the Outdoor Dream Foundation for the 17th consecutive year March 7th at Skeeter Branch Hunting Preserve. This annual duck hunt was done in the honor of Captain Stan Elrod and was a huge success. The hunt takes place every year with the gracious donation of time and facilities by the owners of Skeeter Branch Preserve and is coordinated by Cpl. Craig Fulghum. During this event, each terminally ill youth hunter is paired with a Game Warden to serve as their guide and ensure the safety of all participants. Participating Game Wardens included Cpl. Tim Butler, Cpl. Craig Fulghum, RFC Mark Stephens, RFC Brandon Pierce, RFC Ryan Cleveland, RFC Noah Osborne, RFC Phillip Nelson, Major Stephen Adams and Sgt. Mark Patterson. \nRabun County \nIn October, GW Jared Wood worked a case involving the illegal harvest of ginseng on National Forest Service property. While patrolling for that violation, he contacted two subjects emerging from the woods in a complaint area. After a short interview with the subjects, they admitted to harvesting ginseng. One of the subjects had a warrant, which prompted a search of the subject's backpack. The search produced a small amount of marijuana and two small bags of methamphetamines. Game Warden Wood followed up with a search warrant on both subject's phones, which resulted in 9 additional charges including digging ginseng out of season, without permission, and failure to report harvest. \nIn January, GW Wood received information from a complainant that had found a deer stand on their property. After checking the area, he found bait and a camera that had been placed just over the boundary line on National Forest Service property. Game Warden Wood seized the trail camera and, after obtaining a warrant, found the owner of the camera. It contained several pictures of the camera owner putting out bait. The subject was interviewed and admitted to putting bait out on National Forest Service property. Game Warden Wood then obtained a warrant for the subject's phone, where he found several more pictures of poaching activity including night deer hunting and illegal alligator hunting in Calhoun County, Georgia and illegal bear baiting, illegal turkey and deer hunting in Rabun County. A months long investigation resulted in 25 arrest warrants being issued in Rabun County and 10 warrants in Calhoun County including taking alligator out of season charges. Game Warden Wood arrested the subject in May on the warrants. The Rabun County charges included baiting bear, hunting out of season, hunting without permission, placing bait on national forest, hunting after obtaining limit, hunting without wearing fluorescent orange, and recording and reporting requirements for game animals and game birds. \n44 \n \n Franklin County \nIn December 2020, Cpls. Tim Vickery \u0026 Craig Fulghum began an extensive deer poaching investigation with Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, which included cell phone data, interviews, physical evidence \u0026 search warrants in Tennessee \u0026 Franklin County, GA. During the investigation, the subjects were arrested again by Cpl. Vickery for illegal hunting activities. Meth was found in Dr. Pepper cans in the vehicle, along with five loaded firearms. The Game Wardens filed 126 total charges \u0026 69 sets of antlers were seized. In a separate, but related, case, Cpl. Vickery charged one of the same subjects with 37 misdemeanors and one felony in a case that, at the end of FY 2021, was still awaiting adjudication. \nRabun County \nIn June, Game Wardens worked a boating fatality on Tugalo Lake in Rabun County. The operator of a bass boat was pulling two subjects on a tube when one of the tubers came off. The tuber was \nnot wearing a life jacket. The operator of the boat turned around to go pick him up and ended up running over the subject in the water. Witnesses saw the subject go down after being struck. The operator was arrested and charged with homicide by vessel, boating under the influence under 21 years of age, towing skier without wearing PFD, operating vessel with greater than 25 hp on Tugalo Lake, operating vessel with insufficient PFDs, and operating vessel with expired registration. The victim was located by the Ga DNR Sonar Team. CIRT worked the incident. \nTowns County \nIn the Fall of 2020, Game Warden Jeffery Turner charged a suspect for hunting big game over bait in the Towns County area. Additionally, Turner had the opportunity to confiscate a 460pound black bear within this same case. Pictured is the skull of that bear which is now used in wildlife education programs. In addition, Game Warden Turner worked a total of three search and rescue missions. These incidents yielded the following: charged a suspect for boating under the influence on Lake Chatuge and located evidence (ammunition, Two AR-15's and a laptop) that led to the prosecution of a child molestation case in White County. \n45 \n \n Fannin County In the fall of 2020 Corporal Jones arrested three suspects for hunting from a public road, hunting from a motor vehicle, violation of GA controlled substance act, possession of a gun while committing a felony and an under sized bear. Corporal Jones also made several turkey hunting cases which include hunting over bait, hunting without permission and hunting without license, hunting without a big game license, taking over the season limit of turkeys and possession of big game without a big game license. \nIn one investigation that started in April 2020 Corporal Jones located turkey bait and put up a Spartan Camera resulting in the apprehension of three suspects hunting over bait. Corporal Jones then started looking into the suspects public social media accounts and discovered several more violations which included several different suspects. In all Corporal Jones documented 38 deer and turkey hunting violations. Several turkey parts and one buck rack were confiscated. Corporal Jones also had one BUI on Lake Blue Ridge and was part of Captain Stan Elrod's Honor Guard procession. Dawson County Game Warden Savannah Miller made nine BUI's, worked five boating incidents and one drowning on Lake Lanier. Game Warden Miller transferred to Dawson County in the spring of 2021. Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area Game Warden Bryan Price worked five SAR mission on land and two on water. He was also dispatched to five riot details in Atlanta and assisted three weekends with the Atlanta Crime Suppression detail. \n46 \n \n Union County \n \nGame Warden First Class Matt Johnson is pictured with a buck that he and Game Warden First Class Shane Brown confiscated. The two Game Wardens responded to a complaint regarding a deer being shot from the road. The suspect was charged for the violations and the buck was donated to the Hunters for the Hungary program. \n \nLumpkin County \nCorporal Shane Brown charged a Lumpkin County man for killing a turkey illegally after the suspect admitted to intentionally running over the turkey with his car. Corporal Brown was also involved with several search and rescue mission this past year and was promoted to Corporal in the Spring of 2020. \nLake Lanier \nThe Lake Lanier work section is comprised of Hall, Forsyth, Jackson, and Banks counties and all of Lake Sidney Lanier. The work section has been full of turnover during the past year. Corporal Adam Loudermilk promoted to Administrative Sergeant, Game Warden Chandler Hamrick left the department, Game Warden Savannah Miller Transferred out of the section, Game Warden Adam Kimbrough was hired and completed the DNR Academy, and Game Wardens Beth Gilbert and Dan Schay promoted to Corporal and transferred into the section. \nThe section has continued to be very busy and has worked 5 drownings, 25 boating incidents, three of which were fatalities, and produced sixty-four arrests for boating under the influence during this period. \nHall County \nIn late November of 2020, Game Warden Ryan Locke received information that a suspect had shot a deer at night and from a vehicle. Locke began to investigate the incident and determined that the suspect was a convicted felon. The location of the incident was near a school in Hall County. Game Warden Locke was able to retrieve video from the school surveillance system that showed the suspect vehicle enter the property and shoot the deer. Game Wardens from the work section executed a search warrant on the suspect's home. A muzzle loading rifle, ammunition, drugs, as \n47 \n \n well as evidence corroborating illegal hunting were located. Game Warden Locke seized the suspects cell phone, and a search warrant was executed on it. Additional evidence of illegal hunting was located on the phone and Locke was able to use metadata from the cell phone to not only put the suspect at the scene of the crime but was able to corroborate the eyewitness's story. Arrest warrants were secured for hunting deer at night, hunting from a vehicle, hunting from a public road, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, hunting without permission, failure to record deer harvest, and taking over the limit. Sgt. Lee Brown's work unit worked a drowning on Fort Yargo State Park and was also commended by the Park's staff for their presence and visibility on the park. Region Awards this year GWFC Jason Harrison was the Region II Game Warden of the Year and Waterfowl Officer of the Year. GWFC Cody Jones was the Region II NWTF Officer of the Year. Cpl. Eddie Tompkins was the Region II Investigative Game Warden of the Year. GWFC Ryan Locke was the Region II Boating Officer of the Year. GW Jared Wood was the Region II Torch Award recipient. Region Promotions this year Adam Loudermilk promoted to Administrative Sergeant at the Gainesville Office Tim Vickery promoted to Field Sergeant in Franklin County Casey Jones promoted to Field Sergeant in Fannin County Joe Hill promoted to Corporal in Habersham County Shane Brown promoted to Corporal in Lumpkin County Beth Gilbert and Dan Schay promoted to Corporal on Lake Lanier Game Wardens Taylor Gilmore and Adam Kimbrough completed FTO Training. \n48 \n \n Region III- Thomson \nCaptain Doyte Chaffin, Elizabeth Bentley, Rainee Rowell, Sgt. John Harwell \nThe Region III Law Enforcement Division is comprised of 28 counties from East Central Georgia to the Piedmont. Within the region, there are 23 Wildlife Management Areas, three VPSs (voluntary public access), nine State Parks, and three Public Fishing Areas. Region III is home to Clarks Hill Lake, Lake Sinclair, Lake Juliette, Lake Tobesofkee, Lake Jackson and Lake Oconee. River systems include the Savannah, Little, Broad, Ogeechee, Oconee, Apalachee, and the Ohoopee. 29 POST certified Game Wardens, one Administrative Assistant, and a secretary are assigned to the region. Promotions \u0026 Personnel Changes Region III welcomed GW Skyler Redmond to fill the Burke County position. Cpl. Tony Wynne retired with 25 years. Sgt. Bo Kelly retired with 25 years. GW Levi Thompson transferred from Jasper Co. to Columbia Co. GW Taylor Bingham transferred from Burke Co. to Elijah Clark SP/Lincoln Co. GW Shane Sartor transferred from Region 2 to Wilkes Co. and then promoted to Corporal. Cpl. Bubba Stanford promoted to Sgt. GW Josh Cockrell, GW Nolan Callaway, and GW John Rhodes resigned. GW Jon Segars was promoted to Cpl. and then transferred from Region 2 to Putnam Co. GW Erin McDade transferred from Baldwin Co. to Jones Co. GW Lamar Burns promoted to GWFC2. Personnel Awards Sgt. Brian Carter was nominated for Supervisor of the Year by his section. GW Jason Bennett was the Region III Torch Award recipient and completed Instructor Training. Cpl. Jon Segars completed CIRT investigator training and is now a member of CIRT. He was also accepted to PMP School. Cpl. David Fisher has completed 5 of the required 10 modules of PMP. GWFC Nolan Callaway received the Region Boating Safety Officer of the Year. GWFC John Rhodes was named the State Game Warden of the Year. \n49 \n \n In the Community \nGWs helped with deer/turkey hunts for disabled soldiers. Several Reg. III GWs participated in civil disturbance details in Atlanta and at Stone Mountain. They also assisted with the Governor's Crime Suppression Initiative in Atlanta. GWs assisted with security at mass vaccination sites in Sandersville and Macon. \nCpl. Ben Payne attended several funerals and events as a member of the Honor Guard. \nGW Saxon Campbell participated in two National Night Out events in McDuffie Co. Cpl. Timmerman and Cpl. Sartor assisted with a Safety Day at Fort Gordon. Cpl. Timmerman, GW Campbell, and GW Thompson participated in an Emergency Preparedness Day in Columbia Co. \nGW Jeremy Reese, along with CEWC personnel conducted the first ever Wildlife Forensic Workshops. During these workshops, Georgia teachers and students from across the state were able to get a glimpse as to how GWs conduct investigations into wildlife taken by poachers. \nGWs worked the GA Wildlife Federation's Turkeyrama/Fisharama and the Buckarama answering questions from hunters and anglers. The GWs also worked closely with both Ga. Military College and Georgia College and State University on recruitment efforts. \nSgt. Stanford's work unit assisted the Milledgeville Police with concentrated patrols and serving arrest warrants. \nSgt. Garthright's work unit took part in the Warren Co. Sportsman's Festival, the Morgan Co. Faith and Blue Festival, a Georgia Farm Bureau Safety Camp, a Hometown Heroes Event at the Ritz Carlton, the Morgan Co. Junior Deputy Camp, and a Kid's Fishing Event at A.H. Stephens State Park. \nBoating Activity \nReg. III GWs worked 17 drownings and 9 boating accidents. \nHelping Hand \nIn March, Sgt. Hobbins' section assisted the GBI with the search for a missing person in Wadley, GA. In June, they also assisted Washington Co. SO with the search for the body of a missing woman that had been murdered. \nGWs assisted Game Management with duck banding and their annual goose survey on Clark's Hill Lake. Capt. Chaffin and GW Thompson assisted with a suicide by gunfire on Keg Creek WMA. \nSgt. Carter, Cpl. Sartor, and GW Campbell worked an early season 3-day rifle hunt on Clark's Hill WMA. During the hunt they documented 26 violations that included 17 Hunting Out of Season cases, several license issues, and Target Practicing on a WMA. A wanted felon from Florida was also arrested during the hunt. \nGW Bingham arrested and charged a subject for DUI on a complaint at Elijah Clark SP. \nSgt. Carter's section worked numerous complaints of alcohol consumption at the beach areas on their parks. Plain clothes and surveillance details were utilized. These details resulted in over 20 violations being documented. \n50 \n \n Hunting \u0026 Fishing Activity In August, Sgt. Hobbins' section assisted Reg. II officers with an in-depth hunting incident investigation involving a hog hunter that was shot by another hunter in the party. The victim was transported to Augusta where wardens interviewed all parties involved. The investigation led to several charges as well as a parole violation for one subject. All of those involved were convicted felons. In January, Cpl. Payne was patrolling Di-Lane WMA for waterfowl activity and located several subjects that were hunting illegally. A total of 17 subjects were cited for hunting on a closed WMA. In December, Cpl. Billips located a baited duck shoot in Washington Co. Three subjects were charged with Hunting Over Bait and various license violations. GWs from Sgt. Carter's section worked four tree stand hunting incidents. One of these in Lincoln Co. and one in Columbia Co. each resulted in a fatality. Cpl. Timmerman and GW Campbell located an eight-man duck roost shoot in Lincoln Co.  16 violations were documented. GW Bingham located deer bait on Corps property in Lincoln Co. The subject was later apprehended, and 5 violations were documented. GW Campbell investigated a hunting without permission complaint in McDuffie Co. The culprit was later identified as a club member who was subsequently charged with Hunting Under the Influence. Cpl. Sartor investigated two complaints of dumping deer carcasses in Wilkes Co. The violator was identified in each case and charged. GW Thomson located turkey bait in Columbia Co. and was able to catch and charge three subjects with Hunting Big Game Over Bait. \nOn Dec. 12, 2021, Westin Rabon was listening for shots in Jasper Co. He heard shots coming from the swamp where he and Sgt. Sweat found bait. Westin and Sgt. Sweat rounded up 3 hunters on the pond and noted the following violations: Hunting Over Bait, three citations for Hunting Waterfowl without Federal Waterfowl Stamp, one citation for Hunting Waterfowl with Lead Shot, and one of the hunters had an Unplugged Shotgun. \nOn Dec. 9th, 2021, Cpl. Smith and Sgt. Sweat responded to a tree stand incident in Lamar Co. The incident occurred when the 64-year-old white male lost his footing on the platform and fell approximately 12'. Due to his injuries, he was life flighted to Grady Memorial Hospital. \n51 \n \n On Dec. 5th, 2021, Sgt. Sweat and GWFC Webb interviewed two subjects in Monroe Co. regarding a hunter possibly being over the limit of bucks. Webb had received information and located one of the males on Facebook, in which he had posted pictures of two bucks he had killed. After looking the male up on GoOutdoors, Webb found he had not recorded any deer at this time. After the interview, it was determined that one male had killed a 13 pointer and an 8-point buck, in which neither was tagged or recorded. Another male subject confessed to killing an 8-point buck, in which he did not possess a license. This male was also issued warnings for Hunting without a License and Hunting without a Big Game License. All three deer were killed before Thanksgiving and one 8-point rack was seized. More information on these subjects has been located and the investigation is ongoing. \nOn Oct. 24th, 2021, GW Niki Spencer was contacted by a landowner in Butts Co. whose juvenile son filmed three males hunting without permission. She arrived on scene and after a brief investigation 15 violations were documented. These violations included Hunting without Permission, Hunting Deer without Wearing Fluorescent Orange, multiple license violations, and Killing of Antlerless Deer. The individuals attempted to hide the doe by rolling it in a blue tarp and placing it in a trailer. \nWhile assisting a disabled vessel on Lake Oconee around midnight, Cpl. Worth noticed a large group of people at a nearby boat ramp. While helping the occupants of the disabled vessel he continued to watch the group at the ramp and observed several individuals throwing a cast net. One adult male was standing in the water on the boat ramp casting a cast net. The individual in the water spotted Cpl. Worth as he approached and exited the water. The male attempted to hide his cast net and two bags of fish in the nearby woods. Worth located the hidden items and determined that the individuals were keeping game fish. Worth charged the one adult with Taking Game Fish by Illegal Methods and confiscated 119 game fish. \nCpl. Boles has been actively working numerous night hunting complaints around his county and throughout his work section that started as early as August. In fact, in Aug. he apprehended a group of six Hispanic males hunting from the road at night. Boles has apprehended two groups of night deer hunters in Morgan Co. and one group in Warren Co., along with one individual that was just shining for deer. Boles has devoted many hours to working these nighttime complaints and as a result, he has apprehended 14 individuals hunting from the road at night. \nOn Jan. 1st, 2021, Cpl. Fisher was working waterfowl hunting in Bibb Co. when he heard several shots near a pond. Cpl. Fisher located the pond and observed several subjects flee on foot. Cpl. Fisher contacted GWs Hurley \u0026 Josh Cockrell who responded to the scene. The landowner was able to contact the hunters who eventually met with the GW at the pond. The pond was determined to be baited with whole kernel corn. The five hunters received citations for Hunting Waterfowl Over Bait as well as several license violations. The 8 ducks and one goose were donated to a needy family in the area. \n52 \n \n On Feb. 11th, 2021, Cpl. Fisher patrolled Echeconnee Creek WMA in Bibb Co. where he encountered Mr. Laymon Jackson. Mr. Jackson was hunting small game by falconry means with a Red-Tailed Hawk. \nOn Oct. 27th, 2021, Cpl. Jon Segars responded to a subdivision in northern Baldwin Co. regarding a night deer hunting complaint. Several residents in the area heard a high-powered rifle shot come from a wooded area behind a residence well after legal shooting time had ended. Cpl. Segars contacted a suspect at the residence who denied having shot. Through clever investigative work, Cpl. Segars was able to find a freshly killed 9-point buck hidden behind a boat in the yard. The suspect later admitted to having shot the buck in this back yard. The suspect received a citation for Hunting Deer at Night and the deer was donated to a local food bank. On the evening of Nov. 29th, 2021, GWs in Macon served felony arrest warrants on 2 suspects involved with the fatality boating incident that occurred earlier this year on Lake Tobesofkee. The third suspect was apprehended later in the week. On the recommendation of the Bibb Co. District Attorney a total of 9 felony charges and 3 misdemeanors have been brought against the 3 men. \n53 \n \n Cpl. Ricky Boles, Sgt. Matt Garthright, Cpl. Derrell Worth \n \nCpl. Ben Payne, GW Skyler Redmond, Sgt. Brian Hobbins, Cpl. Jeff Billips \n \nCpl. Wil Smith, GW David Webb, GW Westin Rabon, GW Niki Spencer, Sgt. Travis Sweat, GW Jeremy Reese (Not Pictured) \n \nSgt. Brian Carter, Cpl. Shane Sartor, Cpl. Bobby Timmerman, GW Saxon Campbell, GW Levi Thompson, GW Taylor Bingham \n \nCpl. David Fisher, GW Kevin Hurley, GW Erin McDade, GW Lamar Burns, Cpl. Jonathan Segars, GW Jason Bennett, Sgt. Bubba Stanford \n \n54 \n \n Region IV- Metter \nL-R: GW Jack Thain, K-9 Case, GW Randell Meeks, GW John Kennedy, GW Luke Rabun, GW Cameron Dyal, GW Evan Nobles, GW Connor Moon, Sgt. Clint Martin, GW Clint Jarriel, GW Jordan Usher, Capt. Bob Lynn, Cpl. Mike Wilcox, Admin Support 1 Christina Colquitt, GW Jason Miller, Sgt. Chris Moore, Cpl. Jordan Crawford, AA3 April Thrift, Cpl. Patrick Gibbs, Sgt. Shaymus McNeely, Cpl. Rodney Horne, Sgt. Morty Wood, Cpl. Dan Stiles, Sgt. Kevin Joyce, Cpl. Tim Hutto and K-9 Titan. \nThe Metter Region covers over 10,000 square miles of land mass in the upper and lower coastal plains of Georgia. Region IV covers 27 counties with vast amounts of farmland, planted pines and hardwood bottoms. Region IV Game Wardens patrol over 121,000 acres of public land that includes five state parks, seventeen WMA properties, three PFA properties, multiple VPA properties and Department of Corrections dove fields. Personnel Office Staff The Metter office personnel consist of Captain Bob Lynn, Administrative Sergeant Kevin Joyce. Administrative Assistant 3 April Thrift, and Administrative Support 1 Christina Colquitt continue to provide customer service to the Region's field staff and public. Field Staff Sergeant Shaymus McNeely's section: Corporal Mike Wilcox, Corporal Jordan Crawford, GWFC Jason Miller, GWFC Jack Thain and K-9 Case. Sergeant Chris Moore's section: Corporal Chase Altman, Corporal Patrick Gibbs, GWFC Clint Jarriel, GWFC Bobby Sanders, GWFC Randell Meeks and GW Jordan Usher. Sergeant James McLaughin's section: Corporal Dan Stiles, Corporal Rodney Horne, GW Cameron Dyal, GW Evan Nobles and GW Connor Moon. Sergeant Morty Wood's section: Corporal Tim Hutto and K-9 Titan, GW John Kennedy, GW Luke Rabun and GW Bo Townsend. \n55 \n \n Personnel Changes \nRegion IV welcomed two new Wardens from the 35th Game Warden Academy to the Region:  Connor Moon assigned to Laurens County  Jordan Usher assigned to Montgomery County \nTransfers  GW Austin Biggers transferred from Telfair County to Region I  GW Bo Townsend transferred from Region V to Bacon County \nResignations  GW Chris Thompson from Irwin County  GW Hunter Rush from Laurens County  GW Kristie Carpenter from Tift County \nRegion Personnel Awards  NWTF GWFC Clint Jarriel  TORCH GW Austin Biggers  Game Warden of the Year Corporal Dan Stiles  Hunter Education Instructor of the Year Dan Stiles  Boating Safety Game Warden of the Year Corporal Patrick Gibbs \nState Personnel Awards  Corporal Dan Stiles Hunter Education Instructor of the Year. \nRising to the occasion Georgia Game Wardens continued to show their versatility as need across the state grew. Game Wardens across the region and the state worked extra duty shifts to secure COVID-19 mass vaccination sites across the state alongside other state law enforcement agencies. Game Wardens from the Region also assisted other agencies in crime suppression details in the metro Atlanta area through out the year as crime rates continued to rise in that area. \nNight Hunting \nNone of the 27 counties have large metro areas, but instead, have large swaths of agricultural fields, planted pines stands and hardwood bottoms. Region IV Game Wardens continue to answer many complaints of night hunting in these rural areas. 38 stops for night hunting were conducted and resulted in 237 contacts for violations. \nCorporal Rodney Horne stopped a vehicle for night deer hunting in Wheeler County. The 3 subjects were charged with hunting at night, hunting from a vehicle, hunting from a public road, and hunting without permission. The driver was also charged with fleeing and other traffic offenses. \n56 \n \n In November 2020, GW John Kennedy passed a vehicle and observed a light shining into a field. After turning around and following the vehicle he observed the light shine into several other fields. Upon stopping the vehicle four guns were located along with a light. GW Kennedy also observed blood on clothes of the truck's occupants and observed three dead deer in the rear of the truck. All three occupants were charged with hunting from a road, hunting from a vehicle and hunting deer at night. The deer were turned over to the Wilcox County Sheriff's Office and distributed to needy families in the area. \nInvestigations Region Game Wardens continue to solve poaching cases through boots on the ground and with good tips coming into the Ranger Hotline. \nGame Warden Cameron Dyal worked a hunting without permission investigation in Jeff Davis County. GW Dyal spoke with several local people in the area, and they were able to identify the subject hunting without permission in the trail camera pictures. The deer's rack was seized, and the subject was charged with hunting without permission, hunting without a license, hunting without a big game license and failure to record harvest. \nGW John Kennedy investigated a hunting complaint in Broxton, GA. The complaint was that a large buck was killed in late August 2020. After getting more details from the complainant, GW Kennedy and Sgt. Wood interviewed the poacher. One rack in velvet was confiscated. Citations for hunting out of season was issued and the meat was donated to Hunters for the Hungry \n57 \n \n Protecting the resources on state lands With COVID-19 continuing to dominate the news this last year, DNR's resources continued to be used more by people seeking recreational opportunities while maintaining social distancing. Region IV Game Wardens continued to patrol state parks as well as WMA's and PFA's. Gun ranges at Big Hammock and Bullard Creek became extremely popular locations for citizens of the state to enjoy. With the increase in use came the need to increase patrols to ensure compliance and to protect the state's resources. Over 130 contacts for violations were documented on state properties. \nGW Luke Rabun received a tip from a concerned citizen about individuals that were stealing livestock from General Coffee State Park. After interviewing staff, GW Rabun learned that animals had recently gone missing, but they were suspected to have been taken by predators. After a thorough investigation, GW Rabun was able to capture a photo, with the use of a Spartan camera, of the perpetrators in possession of fowl belonging to the park. After interviewing the suspects, the male individual admitted to the thefts and was charged with Theft by Taking and Criminal Trespass. \nBoating and Fishing Fishing in the spring of the year and boating in early summer are popular activities in the region. With many COVID-19 concerns and the rivers maintaining a higher average level than in past years, recreation on the rivers increased this past year. Majority of the contacts made were for minor licenses infractions and some safety issues such as personal flotation devices (PFD's). However, boating under the influence became more of a concern as several cases for it and possession of illegal drugs were made along the river systems in the region. Multiple search and rescues were also made in the past year. Pictured is GW Bobby Sanders conducting a BUI screening on the Altamaha River. \nIn June 2021, Cpl. Mike Wilcox checked a fisherman on the Ogeechee River. The fisherman had taken over the limit. Cpl. Wilcox confiscated 82 Red Breast Sunfish. The fish was donated to Jenkins County Sheriff's Office to be given to local families in need. \n58 \n \n GW Rabun and Cpl. Hutto were patrolling the Ocmulgee River at Red Bluff Landing for boating activity when they encountered two individuals in a red Ford F150. The operator initiated a conversation with GW Rabun while he was preparing his vessel for launch. GW Rabun smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the passenger area of the vehicle. Cpl. Hutto searched the vehicle and found the driver and operator to be in possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of suspected methamphetamine and marijuana. The driver was arrested by a Trooper with the Georgia State Patrol for DUI and Coffee County Drug Agents arrested the passenger on numerous drug charges. \nGW Clint Jarriel and Cpl. Patrick Gibbs responded to a call in February 2021, concerning two stranded kayakers on the Ohoopee River near Jarriel's Bridge. The river was above flood stage and the current was too strong for the kayakers to maneuver their kayaks. One kayak overturned causing the occupant to be swept down river until he was able to grab a tree limb and hold on until the Game Wardens could reach him. The kayaker was checked out by EMS for hypothermia and released. \nCpl. Dan Stiles and GW Cameron Dyal responded to a report of a missing boater on the Ocmulgee River in Dodge County. The day before the missing male was camping on a sandbar with several other people and he borrowed a boat and never returned. After several hours of searching the missing subject and the boat were finally located the next day. The subject was in poor physical condition with injuries. He was transported back to the boat landing where he was taken to the Dodge County Hospital. \nWaterfowl Waterfowl hunting continues to be popular within the region. Region Game Wardens continue to make cases against poachers hunting waterfowl over bait and hunting waterfowl after hours. \nGW Bobby Sanders and Sgt. Chris Moore located an afterhours waterfowl shoot in Toombs County. Five individuals were involved in the shoot and possessed over the limit. Confiscated birds were donated to the Paul Anderson Youth Home. \n59 \n \n Community Involvement It is important for Game Wardens to be known on a first name basis with the communities they serve. Wardens offer hunter safety classes in their county of assignment. Wardens also attend local events such as festivals and events held by local and national wildlife organizations. Career days at local high schools and colleges are important. These events provide an opportunity for younger generations to ask questions about a career in conservation law enforcement. \nIn February 2021, Cpl. Patrick Gibbs and GW Clint Jarriel hosted an \"Outdoor Seminar\" for up-and-coming outdoorsmen and women at the Evans County Wildlife Club. They discussed hunting and fishing techniques, wildlife calls, firearms handling and safety, conservation laws, and answered questions. \nGW Clint Jarriel giving a safety briefing at the Youth Quota Dove hunt hosted at Indian Ford Farms Dove Field. Several Game Wardens attend this annual hunt to meet and greet youth hunters and their parents. \nFrom time to time, Game Wardens get to serve the wildlife community as well. In January 2021, GW Luke Rabun and GW Kristie Carpenter responded to a call about an injured Bald Eagle in Irwin County. The eagle was captured without incident then taken to Philema Animal Hospital. The eagle was expected to make a full recovery thanks to their efforts. \n60 \n \n Region V- Albany \nL-R: Eric Isom, K-9 \"Bo\", Jeremy Bolen, Ryan Buice, Dean Gibson, Taylor Brown, Tony Cox, Jesse Harrison, Jim Atchley, Thomas Sibley, Blake Chafin, Rick Sellars, Steve Thomas, KP Boatright, Chaplain Daryl Brown, Drew Beverly, Quinn Fogle, Logan South, AOC Taylor Beamon, Al Greer, Greg Wade, and K-9 \"Cuff\" (Not Pictured: Scott Carroll, Greg Castelli, Steve Robinson, Josh Swain, and Eric White) \nThe Region V Law Enforcement Division is comprised of 31 counties in the southwest portion of the state with the headquarters located in Albany. Within the region there are seven large reservoirs, two major rivers, a multitude of smaller streams, eighteen wildlife management areas, two Public Fishing Areas, nine State Parks, Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, and Ft. Benning Military Base. Currently, the region has twenty-five POST certified Game Wardens, with twenty-three assigned field duties, and Captain Rick Sellars and Sergeant Quinn Fogle assigned administrative responsibilities. The region currently has one nonsworn administrative staff, Taylor Beamon, who was hired as the Administrative Assistant III after the retirement of Cindy Hynote. The region secretary position is currently vacant. \nLeft to Right: Sgt. Quinn Fogle, AOC Taylor Beamon, Captain Rick Sellars \n61 \n \n The Region's 31 counties are divided into 5 work units: \n \nLake Blackshear Work Section \n \nSgt. Al Greer's work section includes Dooly, Crisp, Macon, Sumter, Schley, and Lee Counties. The Flint River WMA, Montezuma Bluffs WMA, Cordele Fish Hatchery, Georgia Veterans State Park and Lake Blackshear make up the State-Owned lands patrolled within this work section. Game Wardens assigned to this work unit include Cpl. Clint Martin, Cpl. Jesse Harrison, GW Blake Chafin, GW Logan South and GW Stetson Stevens. \n \nThe work section spent over 1,000 hours working citizen complaints this year. The section issued 587 total violator contacts, worked four boating incidents, and one drowning. The section charged nine subjects for hunting deer at night and charged five subjects with boating under the influence. Four convicted felons were caught hunting throughout the year. \n \nCpl. Clint Martin, GW Blake Chafin, GW \n \nLogan South, and GW Stetson Stevens charged \n \nsix subjects for hunting ducks over bait. \n \nGW Blake Chafin, GW Logan South, GW Stetson \n \nStevens Cpl. Martin was recently promoted to Sergeant \n \nin Region IV and GW Stevens took a lateral \n \ntransfer to Dade County in Region I. \n \nLake Harding Work Section Sergeant Bolen's section consists of Harris, Muscogee, Talbot, Taylor, Chattahoochee, and Marion Counties. The Game Wardens in this work unit patrol Lake Harding, Lake Oliver, Goat Rock, along with several miles of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. Several state-owned properties are located within the work section, including 7 Wildlife Management Areas, 1 Public Fishing Area, and 2 State Parks. Game Wardens assigned to this work unit are Cpl. Josh Swain, Cpl. Eric Isom, GW Dean Gibson, GW Greg Castelli, and GW Ryan Buice. \nSgt. Jeremy Bolen \n \n62 \n \n Game Warden Ryan Buice and Game Warden Gibson located baited duck shoots in Marion and Talbot Counties. They cited 8 hunters for hunting waterfowl over bait and confiscated 16 ducks. In April of 2021, the Chattahoochee Fall Line Fort Perry WMA check station was broken into and a WRD ATV was stolen. Corporal Josh Swain reviewed the security video footage and was able to identify the subject with assistance from the Marion County SO. Cpl. Swain, Sgt. Bolen, GWFC Gibson, 2 deputies from the Marion County SO, and a Talbot County Investigator went to the subject's residence and recovered the stolen ATV. The subject was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail. \n \nGW Ryan Buice \nMarion County Deputy, Cpl. Josh Swain, and GW Dean Gibson \n \nIn April of 2021, Sgt. Jeremy Bolen, Cpl. Eric Isom, and Game Warden Greg Castelli attended the Safe Kids of Columbus PFD event. Academy Sports and Outdoors donated $2,000 to Safe Kids of Columbus, to acquire life jackets that will be put out at life jacket loaner stations around the water. Participating agencies included DNR, Columbus Police Department, and Columbus Fire/EMS. \nOn June 14, Cpl. Isom responded to a complaint of a suspicious vehicle driving around a closed gate on FDR State Park. Cpl. Isom located the vehicle and arrested 2 male occupants for breaking and entering, theft by taking, possession of a firearm by convicted felon, DUI (drugs), and criminal damage/criminal trespass. He recovered a speaker system, computer equipment and other electronic equipment. \n \nCorporal Eric Isom received the Region V Boating Safety Officer of the Year Award as well as the Region V Game Warden of the Year Award. Game Warden Dean Gibson received the Region V NWTF Officer of the Year Award. \nWork section Game Wardens responded to a total of 4 drownings, made 44 hunting over bait cases, and arrested 23 operators for boating under the influence. \n \n63 \n \n Lake Seminole Work Section \n \nSgt Cox's Work Section includes Decatur, Seminole, Baker, Grady, Early, and Miller County. \n \nGame Wardens in this work unit patrol Lake Seminole, Flint River, Chattahoochee River, \n \nOchlocknee River, Spring Creek and \n \nTired Creek Reservoir. This year, Game \n \nWardens made 16 BUI arrests along with \n \n7 counts of Child Endangerment. They \n \nalso investigated 3 boating incidents and \n \n2 drownings on Lake Seminole. During \n \nwaterfowl season, Game Wardens \n \ncharged 33 subjects for hunting ducks \n \nover bait on seven different baited ponds \n \nand cited one subject for hunting \n \nwaterfowl out of season. Due to his hard \n \nwork G.W. Boatright received the Rocky \n \nWainwright Waterfowl Award for the \n \nState. Cpl. Steve Thomas and G.W. \n \nBrown apprehended 2 subjects for killing \n \nturkeys out of season in Early County. \n \nGW KP Boatright, GW Taylor Brown, Sgt. Tony Cox, Cpl. Steve \n \nCpl. Steve Thomas worked a two-week \n \nThomas \n \ninvestigation and charged a subject for \n \nkilling a bear out of season in Grady \n \nCounty. G.W. Boatright apprehended 4 subjects for killing an alligator without a permit while \n \npatrolling Lake Seminole during the early Teal season. The section Game Wardens arrested 13 \n \nsubjects for hunting deer at night and apprehended four subjects for hunting under the influence. \n \nSgt. Cox and G.W. Boatright received the 2021 Governor's Public Safety Award for their rescue \n \nof a duck hunter whose boat sank on Lake Seminole during a winter storm on Christmas Eve. \n \nGovernor's Public Safety Award Ceremony \n64 \n \n Albany Work Section The Albany work section is comprised of Dougherty, Worth, Mitchell, Colquitt, Brooks and Thomas Counties, encompassing approximately 3000 square miles. The major waterways within these counties are Lake Worth, Kinchafoonee Creek, Muckalee Creek, Ochlocknee River, Flint River, and Little River. This work section holds 4 Wildlife Management Areas (Chickasawhatchee, Albany Nursery, Doerun Pitcher Plant Bog, Rivercreek) and 1 State Park (Reed Bingham). \n \nThis section is currently patrolled by three Game Wardens: Sgt. Greg \n \nWade (K9 Cuff), Cpl. Eric White, and Game Warden Drew Beverly. \n \nCpl. David Jones was recently detached to the Investigative Unit. \n \nThroughout the year, Game Wardens in the Albany section issued 550 \n \ncitations and warnings. These violations ranged from hunting deer at \n \nnight (3), felons in possession of firearms (2), hunting alligators out of \n \nseason (6), hunting ducks, dove or big game over bait (51), hunting/ \n \nfishing without permission (39), and license violations (75). In addition \n \nto the previous violations, one subject was arrested for Hunting Under \n \nthe Influence and two subjects for Boating Under the Influence. The \n \nGame Wardens responded to 75 citizen's complaints of illegal activity, \n \nrecovered four drowning victims, assisted local agencies with calls for \n \nservice, and assisted with Crime Suppression details in Atlanta. \n \nSgt. Wade attended Use of Force Instructor training, Pistol 2, Quarterly K9 Inservice, and High-Risk Man \n \nSgt. Greg Wade-Brooks County, Shot from Roadway, No License, Without Permission. K9 Cuff located blood for DNA testing \n \nTracking. Cpl. White is \n \nenrolled in the Professional Management Program \n \n(PMP) at Columbus State University. Game Warden \n \nBeverly completed Critical Incident Management \n \nTraining and attended Georgia Crisis Intervention \n \nTraining at Valdosta State. K9 Cuff has been utilized on \n \nseveral occasions to track suspects and for evidence \n \nrecovery. \n \nCpl. Eric White scooping a pond \n \n65 \n \n Lake Walter F. George Work Section \n \nCpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Steve Robinson, Sgt. Jim Atchley, GW Thomas Sibley \n \nThis work section covers Stewart, Randolph, Terrell, Webster, Quitman, Calhoun and Clay Counties. Sergeant Jim Atchley is the work unit supervisor, Game Warden First Class Thomas Sibley is assigned to Calhoun County, Corporal Steve Robinson is assigned to Stewart County and Corporal Scott Carroll is assigned to Terrell County. GW Bo Townsend was assigned to Webster County, but took a lateral transfer to Region IV earlier this year. The section Game Wardens are responsible for patrolling these seven counties, along with Lake Walter F. George, George T. Bagby State Park, Florence Marina State Park Providence Canyon State Park, Chickasawhatchee WMA, Hannahatchee WMA, Walter F. George WMA, Lanahassee WMA and the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge. \n \nThese officers have documented violations for hunting and fishing without permission, arrested multiple violators for felony dumping violations, hunting alligators out of season, BUI and Child Endangerment, hunting over bait on US government property and State-Owned Lands. \n \n66 \n \n Region VI- Brunswick \nFront row: Sgt. Mark Carson, License Tech Katelyn Bullard, Part-time secretary Rhonda Knight, AA3 Janette Senior. Second Row: Sgt. David Brady, Sgt. Cindy Miller, GW Tim Morris, GW Doug Chambers, GW Quintin Reed. Third Row: Cpl. Colte Shaske, Cpl. Jay Bright, GW Matt Tsiklistas, GW Zach Griffis, GW, Errol Hall, GW Lucas Barnard, GW Matt Thompson. Fourth Row: Sgt. Jason Shipes, Sgt. Chase Altman, Cpl. Bobby White, GW Judd Sears, Mechanic 3 Gary Denis. Fifth Row: GW Joseph Cowart, Cpl. Mark Pool. Cpl. Sam Williams, Cpl. Jon Penuel, Cpl. Daniel North, GW Arron Powell. Not pictured: Captain Chris Hodge, Cpl. Barry Britt, Cpl. Kiel Toney, Cpl. John Evans, and GW Johnny Robinette \nRanging from I-75 over to Waycross and then up to Savannah, Region VI is comprised of 19 counties in Southeast Georgia. Region VI Game Wardens patrol all this area including 17 WMA and 4 VPA properties, 1 PFA, 10 State Parks, and the Economic Exclusionary Zone from 3 miles out to 200 miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. Region VI Game Wardens are extremely busy with all aspects of Conservation Law Enforcement. The Region has seen personnel come and go with retirements of Sgt. Phillip Scott and Cpl. Randy Aspinwall. Game Wardens Errol Hall, Lucas Barnard and Matt Thompson graduated the Game Warden Academy in June 2021. And began their assignments in Camden and Glynn Counties. Game Wardens Joseph Cowart transferred to Clinch County and Game Warden Cassidy Gerstorff transferred to Ware County. Game Warden Sam Williams was promoted to Corporal. Sgt. Patrick Dupree received the statewide 2021 Supervisor of the Year Award. Cpl. Daniel North received the 2021 Region VI Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award. GW Johnny Robinette received the 2021 \n67 \n \n Region VI Torch Award and GW Aaron Powell was the 2021 Region VI Game Warden of the Year. \n \nChatham, Brian, and Liberty Work Unit \n \nSgt. Cindy Miller \n \nOn Monday, 8/31/2020 Game Warden Douglas Chambers and Sergeant Cindy Miller along with NOAA Officers Ben Hughes and Michael Lind checked the shrimping vessel \"Sea Fox\" and determined the captain did not have his commercial fishing license or his commercial boat license. Three other people working on board did not have their commercial fishing licenses. The boat captain and passengers were issued citations/warnings and 850 pounds of shrimp was confiscated \n \nApril 2021- Game Warden Morris and Corporal Britt utilized a Spartan trail camera to identify a suspect who pulled a gate down with a truck on Richmond Hill WMA. The suspect was charged with damaging department property and driving on a closed road. \n \nWayne, Long, Brantley, and Pierce Work Unit \n \nSgt. Chase Altman \n \nIn October of 2020, Cpl. John Evans and GW Judd Sears investigated an illegal fishing complaint in Jesup, GA and found that the local owner of a Chinese Buffet restaurant was trapping fish in a county pond. \n \nCpl. John Evans responded on Christmas night to an injured bear that had been hit on the highway below Gardi, GA. Once there, the bear had to be dispatched and was discovered to be missing most of its front leg. It was found later that she had been in the area for years and there were lots of trail camera photos of her without the leg the entire time. The bear was taken to a taxidermist where she will be mounted and used for educational purposes. The skull will be returned to DNR to be used for programs. \n \nWhile patrolling Pierce County, Cpl. Evans and Sgt. Scott found a field being hunted for doves. Further investigation found the field to be baited heavily and birds had been hidden in the weeds near the field. All four men were cited for multiple violations and 50 doves were seized. The doves were donated to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. \n \n68 \n \n On May 21st, Cpl. John Evans seized the head of two alligators from a Wayne County man. The head of the nearly 13-foot alligator that the man and his 14-year-old son had shot the weekend before was buried in a toolbox behind the field at their home. The skull of a nearly 12-foot alligator that had been killed several months prior was also in the same area. The violator was charged for both alligators and has agreed to pay for the taxidermy on both skulls so they can be donated to the local FFA Wildlife Program at Wayne County High School. \n \nLowndes, Cook, Berrien, Echols, and Lanier Work Unit \n \nSgt. Patrick Dupree \n \nWhile working a night hunting surveillance detail in Berrien County, GW Johnny Robinette \n \nobserved a truck with a bright, light bar stop in the middle of the dirt road. Seconds later he heard \n \n3 gunshots come from the vehicle. When GW Robinette attempted to stop the suspect vehicle, the \n \nvehicle began to flee. GW Robinette chased the fleeing vehicle for several miles while reaching \n \nspeeds that were extremely dangerous for a dirt road. During the pursuit, a dead deer fell out of \n \nthe back of the fleeing vehicle and shortly thereafter the fleeing vehicle came to an abrupt stop in \n \nthe middle of the road. After securing the 4 suspects in the vehicle, GW Robinette was able to \n \ndetermine that the dead deer had been killed earlier that night. Each suspect was arrested and \n \ncharged with hunting deer at night, hunting big game from a public road, hunting from a vehicle \n \nand the driver was charged with fleeing and attempting to elude; 4 rifles, 1 spotlight and the dead \n \ndeer were all seized as evidence. \n \nWhile working early morning duck hunting activity in Lowndes County, Cpl. Daniel North located a duck shoot and was able to get close to the swamp before the hunters emerged. While waiting for the hunters to walk out, Cpl. North could hear and see some of the individuals as they started to gather their birds. As one of the hunters emerged from the swamp, he immediately notified the rest of the group that the Game Warden's truck was there. One of the individuals was then overheard asking \"what do I do with this?\" Another hunter told him to hide it in the water and cover it up. Cpl. North then observed the hunter sink a white object in the water and pull leaves back over the top of it. While checking their licenses, Cpl. North asked if there was anything illegal in the swamp. All of the hunters stated that there was not. Upon inspection, Cpl. North was able to locate a box of lead shot shells that the hunter had sunk in the mud, and he also determined that the area had been baited. Multiple license violations as well as illegal ammunition and hunting over bait were documented and nine ducks were seized and donated to a local family in need. \n \nWare, Charlton, Atkinson, Clinch Work Unit \n \nSgt. Jason Shipes \n \nOn October 3rd, Sgt. Jason Shipes and GWFC Sam Williams were patrolling a hunting club in \n \nCharlton County where bear bait had been located a few days earlier when a gun shot was heard \n \nin an area that was known to be baited. The officers located two subjects in the area. After a short \n \ninvestigation, a bear was located that had been killed at a bait site. One subject was charged with \n \nhunting big game over bait and hunting bear without fluorescent orange. The second subject was \n \ncharged with illegal enticement of game. \n \nOn September 26th, GWFC Sam Williams received a call from Charlton County Sheriff's Office about a dead bear near the scene of a vehicle crash. After arrival, the officer observed a bullet wound on the neck of the bear. There were also items often used to bait bear observed in the \n \n69 \n \n roadway and in the back of the only vehicle involved in the crash. While photographing evidence, the officer realized that the wrecked vehicle matched a description of a vehicle he received a week prior that was observed on private property in Ware County where the complainant had located bear bait near a stand. During an interview with the driver of the vehicle, Cpl. Mark Pool and GWFC Williams determined that the subject had shot the bear on that property and was headed to the check station in Folkston when he crashed. Cpl. Tim Hutto and GW Westin Rabon joined the investigation on the property in Ware County. Based on the statements made during the interview, the officers located the stand and bear bait that matched the evidence observed at the scene of the vehicle crash. After collecting and photographing the evidence, the subject was charged with hunting big game over bait. \nOn September 6th, Sgt. Jason Shipes and GWFC Sam Williams located a dove shoot on the edge of a pasture in Atkinson County. While checking licenses and bag limits, the officers observed cracked corn and sunflower seed that had been placed in a harrowed area. Cpl. Tim Hutto and \nGW Westin Rabon responded to assist. A total of 158 dove were confiscated and eight subjects were charged with hunting over bait and hunting after obtaining bag limit. \n \nGlynn, Camden, and McIntosh Work Unit \n \nSgt. David Brady \n \nIn September of 2020, Cpl. Jay Bright was working a night deer hunting investigation/ complaint in McIntosh County. Cpl. Bright apprehended the poachers one night after working the area only to find that they had killed this trophy deer earlier that night in McIntosh County. \n \n70 \n \n In February of 2021, Cpl. Jay Bright encountered a man fishing in Glynn County. He observed him hiding fish in the marsh and was able to determine that he was not licensed and was a subject that had been caught previously for the same violation. \nGW Zach Griffis \u0026 Sgt. David Brady were working North McIntosh County for inbound offshore fishing activity early in the summer of 2021. One vessel stop yielded these illegally caught red snapper and black sea bass. The case was referred to NOAA for Federal prosecution. \nGW Matt Tsiklistas seized these illegally harvested shellfish in the summer of 2021. The individual that was picking the oysters and digging clams when the season was closed and was in an area that shellfish collection is prohibited. \nGW's Zach Griffis and Jay Bright seized 13,000 pounds of shrimp illegally taken from Georgia waters during May of 2021. Working tirelessly throughout the early spring months while the shrimp were thick inside closed state waters, Game Wardens from the Camden, Glynn, McIntosh work section were able to slow down the \"stealing\" with totals seizures around 25,000 pounds. \n71 \n \n Offshore Joint Enforcement Agreement with NOAA The Joint Agreement #19 between Georgia DNR and NOAA Office of Law Enforcement called for GADNR enforcement personnel to provide a total of 1,604 hours of marine law enforcement or related work under the agreement. Georgia has 5 Execution Priorities. They are Endangered Species, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, National Marine Sanctuaries Act, Marine Mammal Right Whale, and Lacey Act/International (IUU). Vessel patrol hours targeted the following areas: 1) shrimp trawlers checking for TED compliance, 2) intercepts of recreational and commercial fishing vessels returning to Georgia seaports from fishing trips in federal waters, 3) offshore patrols to Special Management Zones and Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, 4) concentrations of fishing vessels wherever they occur in the Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent to the State of Georgia, 5) intercepts of recreational fishing vessels for Red Snapper compliance, and 6) Inspection of shipping container at the Georgia Ports. These patrols resulted in 6 state charges and 12 Federal Cases sent to NOAA OLE. \n72 \n \n Investigative Unit \nThe Investigative Unit (IU) is comprised of two full-time investigators, two detached investigators and one Intelligence Analyst. The IU is responsible for undercover investigations, administration of the Critical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT), the Marine Theft Unit (MTU) as well as investigation assistance to the Special Permit Unit (SPU). The primary function of the Investigative Unit is to provide field Game Wardens with investigative support. The Investigative Unit is able to fulfill this mission with the support of 13 Game Wardens that perform a collateral duty called \"Regional Investigator\". Regional Investigators assist the IU with overt and covert investigations. The IU also serves the field as a central point of contact for information sharing on a statewide level. In 2021, the Investigative Unit's Criminal Intelligence Analyst completed her Level 2 training which significantly expanded her support capabilities. Over the past 2 years all investigators and Analyst have completed the ZetX 40 Hour Advanced Cellular Investigations and Geofence Training. This technology is requested and used daily not only by Georgia Game Wardens but also by state prosecutors, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and countless police and sheriff's departments. Through this assistance, the Investigative Unit and the Department has strengthened working relationships with other law enforcement agencies throughout the state - benefiting Georgia law enforcement and more importantly, the citizens we serve. \nUndercover Investigations The Investigative Unit is responsible for undercover investigations which are used when traditional enforcement methods would be problematic or unsuccessful. The Regional Investigators are full-time Game Wardens who have received training in undercover operations and equipment and are used throughout the state as needed. \nLast year, the Investigative Unit conducted and managed 547 investigations and calls for assistance from the field and from other agencies (both in and out-of-state). These investigations were comprised of assistance with search warrants, intelligence gathering, buy/bust and both short and long-term investigations. The focus of many of these investigations included the sale or possession of wildlife and wild animals. These violations are difficult to address without the aid of undercover officers. \nCritical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT) Georgia has 13 CIRT investigators assigned throughout the state. CIRT investigates fatality and serious injury boating, hunting and state park incidents. Each investigator receives specialized training on investigating and presenting these cases. Last year, CIRT was activated to investigate 6 boating incidents, 3 hunting incidents and one fatality on a State Park. \nMarine Theft Unit (MTU) The primary function of the MTU is to assist law enforcement officers in the field. The MTU conducts computer database and offline searches, hidden hull identification number location assistance and assists with locating and recovering stolen vessels. The MTU also serves as the point of contact for customers as well as court systems related to the abandoned vessel process. Last year, the MTU received 122 abandoned vessel/stolen boat requests from the public and field. MTU also fielded numerous phone calls related to the abandoned vessel process. This past year, the MTU was inundated with reports of stolen vessels. The unit has worked and accomplished in recovering 9 of these stolen vessels. \n73 \n \n Special Permits Unit \nThe Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division Special Permits Unit, headed by Lt. Wayne Hubbard, is responsible for permitting captive wildlife and wild animals in addition to some specialty-take permits such as Scientific Collection Permits. The Unit also coordinates inspections on all permitted wild animal facilities throughout the state. This past year, with help from SPU Coordinator Jamie Hawkins, the Unit issued 2,213 permits, collecting approximately $73,655 in generated fees. \n \nK-9 Unit \nThe Division continues to use K-9s to enhance patrol efforts by Game Wardens and to provide assistance to other agencies for man tracking and article searches. The dogs and their handlers are certified in Man-tracking, Apprehension, Article Recovery and Wildlife Detection, and the Unit played a part in numerous cases during the year. The complete unit participated in three different training sessions including an advanced firearms training course at GPSTC, and a joint training exercise with the Florida FWC K-9 unit. One notable case occurred in lat February of 2021 when the entire Unit responded to Decatur County, after a Sheriff's Deputy was shot and killed, and located the gun that was used to shoot him. \n \nFY2021 K-9/Handler Teams \nSgt. Brooks Varnell and K-9 Taz Cpl. Tim Hutto and K-9 Titan Cpl. Eric Isom and K-9 Bo Sgt. Greg Wade and K-9 Cuff Cpl. Keith Page and K-9 Rio GWFC Jack Thain and K-9 Case \n \nGW Jared Wood and K-9 Judge \n \n74 \n \n Training Unit \nGame Warden Academy The 35th Game Warden Academy began on Sunday, January 10th at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. Eleven cadets from across the state began training with three of the eleven cadets voluntarily withdrawing during the 23-week course. All of the remaining cadets, with the exception of one who declined due to severe allergies, voluntarily took the COVID 19 vaccine and the 35th was able to train for 23 consecutive weeks with no COVID related incidents or delays. COVID 19 protocols and other COVID-19 safety precautions for academy training were put in place to ensure the safety of our cadets and instructors until the Georgia Public Safety Training Center resumed normal operations on April 12, 2021. The cadets of the 35th Game Warden Academy graduated on June 18th and are currently out on Field Training in the Regions of assignment. \nIn-Service Training This year's in service training schedule was again dominated by the challenges posed by COVID19. However, we have been able to complete annual firearm's re-qualifications X2 Taser recertification training and our annual Standardized Field Sobriety and BUI Refresher training. The Division was able to purchase 40 additional X2 Tasers this year. Taser training was conducted in May and we currently have 116 X2 Tasers in the field. Game Warden's also completed the mandated Governor's Initiative Community Oriented Policing training. This year's training consisted of Cultural Awareness Training. The Division will be completing our annual fall firearm's in-service during the months of September, October and November at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center. These two full days of training will include the recently updated Use of Force and De-scalation training programs, Use of Force Simulator Training, Shotgun Skills and Advanced Handgun Skills. \n75 \n \n Special Operations Group Training Twenty members of the Division's Special Operations Group (SOG) attended 6 days and nights of Woodland Operations Training with soldiers from the Georgia National Guard Counter Drug Task Force. SOG Game Wardens received military training in land navigation, tactical team movement, patrol and reconnaissance operations, team development, and the use of cover and concealment. The courses main emphasis was on mission planning and operational leadership. The course concluded with live scenario training missions which were executed during both daylight and night hours. Twenty-one members of the Division's Special Operations Group (SOG) also attended the 32-hour Semi-auto Pistol Level II course at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center. The SOG Game Wardens received advanced pistol training which focused on advance gun handling skills, shooting from cover and multiple threat engagement. \nTraining Staff (L-R)  Joe Talaber, Debra Hollar, Captain Bob Holley \n76 \n \n Aviation Unit \nThe LED Aviation Unit provides Aerial support to all DNR Divisions as well as other state and federal agencies utilizing three Bell 407GX helicopters which are well equipped for the mission. \nThe Aviation Unit flew approximately 550 hours in support of the Divisions Game Wardens as they conducted their core mission of protecting the states waterways and woodland areas. This consisted of flying support for missions throughout the hunting season from early fall through early spring. Game Wardens were flown on county surveys looking for baited food plots, duck ponds and illegal shrimping along the Georgia Coast. Flight support was also provided for night deer poaching/spotlight patrols, searches for missing persons and drowning victims across the state. The Wildlife Resource Division (WRD) was provided aviation support during the survey season for Bald Eagles, Kestrel, Sandhill Cranes, Shore birds, as well as waterfowl surveys. \nCoastal Support also included flights along the coast in support of surveys for sea turtles, dolphins, manatee tracking and tagging, as well as providing flight support for the U.S. EPA National Wetlands Condition assessment. In addition to the WRD and Coastal Resource Division Surveys, the unit flew missions to assist the Game Management Section with prescribed burns on the State WMA's. Coastal missions for EPD were flown in support of cleanup and inspection of coastal beaches due to the Golden Ray Shipwreck as needed. \nAdditionally, the Aviation Unit continued to assist in missions to support Federal and State Law Enforcement agencies in surveillance missions and ongoing investigations. Aerial Support was provided to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals, United States Customs Air and Marine Division, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Georgia Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security, along with many other agencies. \nThe DNR Aviation unit stands ready to continue providing support for all DNR missions, while continuing to support State and Federal agencies as needed. \n77 \n \n Honor Guard \n \nHonor Guard Members \n \n Sgt. Derek Dillard (Commander)  Maj. Bob Holley  Sgt. Brooks Varnell  Sgt. Travis Sweat  Sgt. Jeremy Bolen \n \n Sgt. David Brady  Cpl. Cody Jones  Cpl. Ben Payne  Cpl. Dan Schay  Cpl. Scott Carroll \n \n Sgt. Chase Altman  Cpl. Kiel Toney  GWFC Clint Jarriel  GWFC Jeffery Turner \n \nHonor Guard Details  July 18, 2020  Funeral detail for retired Game Warden Darrell Watson Lakeland, Georgia where honor guard \nmembers Cpl. Chase Altman presented the flag to his family.  July 24, 2020  Presentation of Colors and participated in the 34th Game Warden Academy Graduation Ceremony at \nthe GPSTC in Forsyth, Georgia. Sgt. David Brady, Sgt. Brooks Varnell, Sgt. Derek Dillard, Cpl. Ben Payne, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Kiel Toney, Cpl. Cody Jones and GWFC Dan Schay participated in the ceremony.  August 22, 2020  Presentation of Colors for the DNR LED Awards Banquet at Indian Springs State Park. Sgt. Brooks Varnell, Sgt. Thomas Sweat, Cpl. Scott Carroll and Cpl. Chase Altman participated in the ceremony.  September 6, 2020  Funeral visitation detail for Capt. Stan Elrod at Whitlock Funeral Home in Toccoa, Georgia where Sgt. Derek Dillard, Cpl. Kiel Toney, GWFC Dan Schay and GW Jeffery Turner participated in the detail.  September 7, 2020  Funeral visitation detail for Capt. Stan Elrod at Whitlock Funeral Home in Toccoa, Georgia where Cpl. Kiel Toney and GW Jeffery Turner participated in the detail.  September 8, 2020  Full honors funeral detail for the line of duty death of Capt. Stan Elrod in Toccoa, Georgia at Whitlock Funeral Home, the Georgia Baptist Convention and the Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Capt. Bob Holley, Sgt. Derek Dillard, Sgt. Brooks Varnell, Sgt. Jeremy Bolen, Sgt. David Brady, Sgt. Travis Sweat, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Chase Altman, Cpl. Cody Jones, GWFC Dan Schay, GWFC Clint Jarriel and GW Jeffery Turner participated in the full honors detail.  October 25, 2020  Funeral detail for retired Game Warden Cpl. Dennis Aderholt in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Sgt. Brooks Varnell and GWFC Dan Schay participated in the detail and presented the flag to his family.  November 14, 2020  Funeral detail at the memorial service for retired Game Warden Lt. Col. Robert \"Bob\" Brown in Jonesboro, Georgia. Sgt. Jeremy Bolen and Cpl. Ben Payne participated in and presented the US Flag during the ceremony.  December 18, 2020  Funeral detail for GBI Agent James \"Jamie\" Sullivan in Statesboro, Georgia. Sgt. David Brady, Sgt. Travis Sweat and Cpl. Chase Altman participated in the ceremony where they folded and presented the US Flag.  January 18, 2021  Funeral detail for retired Game Warden Sergeant Hugh Elrod in Cleveland, Georgia where honor guard members Sgt. Brooks Varnell, Cpl. Cody Jones and GWFC Jeffery Turner folded and presented the US flag to the family.  January 29, 2021  Funeral detail for retired Game Warden Sergeant D.V. \"Bunny\" Grantham in Ambrose, Georgia where honor guard members Sgt. Jeremy Bolen, Sgt. David Brady and Cpl. Ben Payne folded and presented the US flag to his daughters.  June 18, 2021  Presentation of Colors and participated in the 35th Game Warden Academy Graduation Ceremony at the GPSTC in Forsyth, Georgia. Sgt. Travis Sweat, Sgt. David Brady, Cpl. Ben Payne, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Kiel Toney, Cpl. Dan Schay and GWFC Jeffery Turner participated in the ceremony. \n \n78 \n \n Chaplains \nThe 11 members of the DNR Law Enforcement Division Chaplain Corps currently serve four of the state's seven Regions. \nThe DNR Chaplains are non-sworn volunteers who support the mission of DNR in providing a source of strength to sworn and non-sworn members of the Agency, their families, and the community. The program supports employees in the handling of crisis situations, comforts victims and their families when incidents occur, and provides counseling and other ministerial functions that may be needed. \nDNR Chaplains \nRegion I Rev. Brandon Brooks Rev. Danny Cochran Rev. Tac Coley Dr. Rudy Ross \nRegion II Rev. Michael Burgamy \nRegion III Dr. Marc Crandlemire Rev. John Haney Dr. Rick Lanford Rev. Joel Vinson, Sr. \nRegion IV Rev. Chip Strickland Rev. Stacy Phillips \nRegion V Rev. Daryl Brown \nRegion VI Rev. Charles Houston, Jr. Rev. Gregory Loskoski \n79 \n \n Promotions: \nSgt. Mitch Oliver GWFC2 Jason Miller Cpl. Daniel North Cpl. Colte Shaske Cpl. Shane Sartor GWFC2 Sam Williams Sgt. Adam Loudermilk Sgt. Quinn Fogle Cpl. Eric White Cpl. Dan Schay Cpl. Beth Gilbert Cpt. Derek Dillard GWFC 2 Shane Brown GWFC 2 Matt Johnson GWFC 1 Jason Bennett GWFC 1 Kevin Hurley GWFC 1 Trae Paulk GWFC 1 John Rhodes GWFC 1 Ryan Cleveland GWFC 1 Noah Osborne GWFC 1 Jeff Turner GWFC 1 Cameron Dyal GWFC 1 Cassidy Gerstorff GWFC 1 Dean Gibson GWFC 1 Thomas Sibley GWFC 1 Logan South GWFC 1 Tyler Lewis GWFC 1 Garrett Pownall GWFC 1 Will Smith GWFC 1 Philip Stout GW 2 Taylor Bingham GW 2 K.P. Boatright GW 2 Bo Buice GW 2 Bo Townsend GW 2 Hunter Bowman GW 2 David Wright GW 2 Westin Rabon GW 2 Hunter Rush GW 2 Taylor Gilmore Sgt. Ben Cunningham Sgt. Tim Vickery GWFC 1 Brock Hoyt GWFC 1 Steve Martinez GWFC 1 Ryan Shorter GWFC 1 Caleb Thomas GWFC 1 Bryan Price GWFC 1 Kristie Carpenter GWFC 1 John Kennedy GWFC 1 Taylor Brown GWFC 1 Zach Griffis \n \nGWFC 1 Johnny Robinette GWFC 1 Matt Tsiklistas Cpl. David Jones Cpl. Frank Pucci GWFC 2 Bobby Sanders Cpl. Shane Brown Cpl. Joe Hill Cpl. Sam Williams Lt. Brian Adams Sgt. Shawn Elmore \nRetirements: \nSgt. Ellis Wynn Sgt. David Ruddell Cpl. Ryan Swain Sgt. Greg Colson Cpl. Tommy Daughtrey Sgt. Mike Barr Cpl. Kevin Dyer GWFC1 Ken Lalumiere Sgt. Bo Kelly Lt. Chad Welch \n \nActivity Summary \nHunter Ed Programs I\u0026E Programs Boating Safety Programs Hunter Development \n \nFY2021 86 \n455 \n157 0 \n \nTotal Programs \nWater SAR Cases Water SAR Hours Vessels Assisted Water Persons Asst. \n \n1,127 \n192 3,428 \n219 519 \n \nLand SAR Cases Land SAR Hours Land Persons Asst. \n \n111 1,325 \n260 \n \nHunting Incidents \n \n28 \n \nBoating Incidents \n \n126 \n \nDrownings \n \n61 \n \nHunting License Checks Fishing License Checks Comm. License Checks Total License Checks \n \n29,880 36,265 \n221 66,366 \n \nBoat Checks \n \n34,505 \n \nBoating Contacts Hunting Contacts Fishing Contacts Trapping Contacts Environmental Contacts Other Contacts \n \n4,481 3,321 2,012 \n29 427 3,504 \n \nTotal Contacts \n \n13,774 \n \n80 \n \n 81 \n \n 82 \n \n "},{"id":"dlg_ggpd_928937116-2020","title":"Law Enforcement Division 2020 annual report.","collection_id":"dlg_ggpd","collection_title":"Georgia Government Publications","dcterms_contributor":null,"dcterms_spatial":["United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018"],"dcterms_creator":["Georgia. Department of Natural Resources (1972- ). Law Enforcement Division, author."],"dc_date":["2020"],"dcterms_description":["Description based on: FY 2013 (online surrogate); title from PDF cover (Georgia Government Publications database, viewed November 12, 2015).","Latest issue consulted: FY 2015."],"dc_format":["application/pdf"],"dcterms_identifier":null,"dcterms_language":["eng"],"dcterms_publisher":["[Social Circle, Georgia] : [Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division], [2013]-"],"dc_relation":null,"dc_right":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dcterms_is_part_of":null,"dcterms_subject":["Georgia.--Department of Natural Resources (1972- ).--Law Enforcement Division--Periodicals.","Georgia.--Department of Natural Resources (1972- ).--Law Enforcement Division--fast","Wildlife management--Law and legislation--Georgia--Periodicals.","Recreation areas--Georgia--Periodicals.","Recreation areas","Wildlife management--Law and legislation","Georgia","Georgia Government Documents--Serial"],"dcterms_title":["Law Enforcement Division 2020 annual report."],"dcterms_type":["Text"],"dcterms_provenance":["University of Georgia. Map and Government Information Library"],"edm_is_shown_by":["https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:dlg_ggpd_928937116-2020"],"edm_is_shown_at":["https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:dlg_ggpd_928937116-2020"],"dcterms_temporal":null,"dcterms_rights_holder":null,"dcterms_bibliographic_citation":null,"dlg_local_right":null,"dcterms_medium":["state government records"],"dcterms_extent":null,"dlg_subject_personal":null,"iiif_manifest_url_ss":null,"dcterms_subject_fast":null,"fulltext":"Commissioner Mark Williams \n \nDirector Colonel Thomas \nBarnard \n \n Headquarters \n \nColonel Thomas Barnard, Director \n \nLt. Colonel Johnny Johnson, Assistant Director \n \nMajor Stephen Adams \n \nMajor Mike England \n \n31 \n \n Headquarters Support Staff \n \nLt. Wayne Hubbard \n \nLt. Wanda Roberts \n \nLt. Judd Smith \n \nKim Cato \n \nJen Hammonds \n \nJamie Hawkins \n \nMark McKinnon \n \nAshley Moon \n \nTaye Pierce \n \nSharon Sims \n \nDebbie Stephens \n32 \n \nShannon Witcher \n \n The Vision of the Law Enforcement Division is to ensure that Georgia's natural resources will be conserved for our present and future generations. The Mission of the Law Enforcement Division is to conserve our natural resources and to protect the people we serve. We maintain public support through fair and vigorous law enforcement, quality education, and community involvement. We commit ourselves to our Vision and Mission by practicing our core beliefs, which are trust, fairness and professionalism. \nHeadquarters \nThe Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division, currently has 200 POST-certified Game Wardens with statewide authority and full arrest powers and 28 non-sworn staff members. The primary duties of these Game Wardens are enforcement of all laws and regulations pertaining to hunting, fishing, commercial fishing, environmental violations, and recreational boating, as well as to provide public safety on all our DNR-controlled properties. The Law Enforcement Division operates with a straight-line chain of command. It consists of the Colonel, Lt. Colonel, two Majors, eight Captains (6 Region Supervisors, 1 Training Director, 1 Pilot), seven Lieutenants (database management, special permits/captive wildlife and wild animals, boating law administrator and administrative support, professional standards, investigations, 2 pilots), and 181 field Game Wardens (Sergeants, Corporals, Game Wardens First Class, and Game Wardens). \n33 \n \n Vehicles \u0026 Equipment Throughout the year, the Law Enforcement Division acquired some new vehicles and equipment, utilizing funding from various sources. Forty-eight new 4x4 patrol vehicles were purchased for field personnel. New equipment included the Visual Labs body-worn camera system with cloudbased storage for all video, audio, and photos, and supplemental rifle-rated body armor for all sworn personnel. \nRanger Hotline The Ranger Hotline program, which provides a way for citizens to report anonymously potentially illegal wildlife and other conservation law violations, continues to be successful. If the information leads to an arrest, the tipster receives a cash reward funded by the Georgia Natural Resource Foundation, whose mission is to protect wildlife by increasing public support for wildlife law enforcement. Last year, 298 tips were received for various violations. \nOTHER SPECIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUES \nProtests/Riots As the fiscal year began to wrap up in June, Game Wardens from across the state were deployed to help preserve life and property as protests turned into riots related to the officer-involved shootings of George Floyd in Minnesota and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta. In total, there were 384 field deployments that logged more than 4,800 man-hours. The Game Warden duties included preserving life and property, assisting local and other state agencies, protecting the rights of citizens for peaceful assembly, preventing protesters from gaining access and closing or interfering with critical infrastructure, and providing security at several state-owned properties and private retail businesses. \nCOVID-19 The COVID-19 Pandemic brought on more challenges as Governor Brian Kemp called Game Wardens and other state law enforcement officers to support efforts to fight the virus. They continued to patrol Parks, Wildlife Management Areas, Public Fishing Areas, and beaches to encourage compliance with the Governor's Executive Order for social distancing and also provided high-visibility presence at DNR facilities, properties and on state waterways. By the end of the fiscal year, the officers had worked over 19,170 hours while conducting 5,495 targeted patrols in the monitoring and enforcing of COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders and directives. They reported 1,039 violations - 1,038 verbal warnings and one reckless conduct charge. Additionally, they were a key link in the logistics chain by delivering PPE, testing kits, and medical supplies and equipment to various facilities across the state. \nJEA Patrols The Joint Agreement #18 between Georgia DNR and NOAA office of Law Enforcement called for GADNR enforcement personnel to provide a total of 1,748 hours of marine law enforcement or related work under the agreement. Georgia has five Execution Priorities. Execution Priority 1 was the Endangered Species Act. There were 435-man hours and 155 hours of at-sea vessel patrol hours dedicated to this priority. These patrols were checking shrimp trawlers for TED and net compliance. Execution Priority 2 was dedicated to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. There were 405-man hours and 145 hours of at-sea vessel patrols dedicated \n34 \n \n to priority 2. These patrols were to check Red Snapper compliance and any other violation dealing with Snapper/Grouper and HMS species. Execution Priority 3 was the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. There were 255-man hours and 85 hours of at-sea vessel patrols dedicated to Priority 3. Execution Priority 4 was the Marine Mammal Right Whale. There were 132-man hours and 44 hour of at-sea vessel patrols. These patrols were from November through March and were specifically targeting Right Whale enforcement. Execution Priority 5 was the Lacey Act/International (IUU). There were 92 personnel hours dedicated to IUU enforcement. These patrols were assisting NOAA Enforcement Officers with inspection of containers at the Georgia Ports. Vessel patrol hours targeted the following areas: 1) shrimp trawlers checking for TED compliance, 2) intercepts of recreational and commercial fishing vessels returning to Georgia seaports from fishing trips in federal waters, 3) offshore patrols to Special Management Zones and Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, 4) concentrations of fishing vessels wherever they occur in the Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent to the State of Georgia, 5) intercepts of recreational fishing vessels for Red Snapper compliance, and 6) inspection of shipping container at the Georgia Ports. \nPublic Affairs Media Relations and Public Outreach Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, media news conferences and ride-alongs with Game Wardens were replaced by news releases, radio and TV interviews, and social media posts at the start of the boating and hunting seasons, \"Operation Dry Water,\" and the July 4th Holiday weekend to promote safe boating and swimming safety and to educate citizens on boating laws and how they are applied. Additionally, news releases, I \u0026 E presentations and speeches to various civic groups, and regular news media interviews and interaction were utilized throughout the year to disseminate information to the public on the Governor's COVID-19 Executive Orders, the Division's hunting, fishing, and boating enforcement efforts, and awards and recognitions received by game wardens. \nSPLASH The Division continued moving forward with the multi-agency water safety initiative, SPLASH, although the in-person meetings were cancelled after February because of the pandemic. Along with a number of federal, state, and private partners, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Georgia Department of Public Health and Georgia Power, the aggressive anti-drowning campaign encourages citizens to follow these tips when enjoying beaches, pools, lakes, rivers and other bodies of water. Through phone and email communications, the efforts of the group continued as they shared promotional ideas, discussed implementation and collected and distributed over 1,000 life jackets to loaner boards across the state. SPLASH is an acronym used to encourage safety around the water. \n Supervision  Designate an adult to watch children at all times. Do not assume someone else is watching. \n Prevention  Wear personal flotation devices (PFD or life jacket), install fencing around pools, and use drain covers in hot tubs and pools. \n Life Jackets/Look before you leap Always wear a life jacket and never jump into water without knowing how deep it is and what is below the surface. \n Arm's Length  Adults should be arm's length to children in water, and life jackets and throwable flotation devices should be nearby at all times. \n35 \n \n  Swim Lessons  Knowing how to swim greatly reduces the chance of drowning.  Have a Water Safety Plan  Know what to do during an emergency. Throughout the campaign, the SPLASH team has provided public service announcements to local radio stations, increased social media messaging, stenciled painted safety messages on boat ramps and placed \"Wear It Georgia\" signs at numerous facilities on the state's waterways. Currently, the Department is continuing the process of adding 250 life jacket loaner boards at public boat ramps and state parks statewide, with these locations now included on the Georgia Outdoors app. Social Media LED manages a Facebook page that is approaching 70,000 page \"Likes\" (people who regularly view the page). Many of LED's Facebook posts have a \"Reach\" (number of people who may see the post through their friends who \"Like\" the page) that exceeds 100,000, and occasionally, some are above 500,000. The Division also has a Twitter account that currently has nearly 1,700 followers, a YouTube Channel with multiple safety-related videos, and an Instagram account with almost 6,700 followers. \n36 \n \n Previous Game Wardens of the Year \n \nWilliam Powell W.D. Hill, Jr. Michael Bone William Vickers Dan Parrish Ronald Bailey Ralph Sheppard Roger D. Garrison James McDaniel Doug Lewis Terry West W. Howard Hensley, Jr. Dennis Aderholt Bill Bunch Arvid Edwards Mitchell H. Yeargin Jeff Weaver Mike Commander Phillip Scott Stanley Elrod \n \n1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 \n \nRick Sellars David Ruddell Derek Dillard Mike Barr Harry E. Akins Eric Brown John Murphy Shane Sartor Mike Binion Brian Hobbins Cindy Miller Timothy Butler Jason Roberson David Webb Greg Wade Casey Jones Eddie Tompkins Brian Adams Cody Jones Quinn Fogle \n \n2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 \n \n37 \n \n Region I- Acworth \nRegion I is comprised of 28 Northwest Georgia and metro Atlanta counties. The territory expansion now includes four major impoundments, seven major rivers, 10 State Parks, 21 Wildlife Management Areas consisting of 266,852 acres and 173,000 acres of US Forest Service lands, and 2,440 miles of trout streams. The region is patrolled by 36 Game Wardens. \nPromotions and Personnel Changes There were numerous personnel changes in the Acworth Region. Mike Burgamy was promoted to Region Captain vacated by the retirement of Captain Jeff Galloway in July 2019. Brooks Varnell was promoted to Field Sergeant over the Lake Allatoona section. Sgt. Brent Railey retired from the West Point section. Daniel Gray and Zack Hardy were promoted to Corporal in the Metro section. Kalem Burns, Charles Follin, Travis Shrader, Frank Pucci and Ken Lalumiere were promoted to Game Warden First Class 1. Jason Warren, Kyle Faulknor, and Andrew Crider were promoted to Game Warden 2. Sherry Rollins was promoted to full-time Administrative Support 1. Brock Hoyt transferred from Stewart to Fulton County. Wil Smith transferred from Wilkes to Pickens County. Phillip Stout transferred from Calhoun to Cherokee County Boat and Safety. Steven Martinez transferred from Troup County to Red Top Mountain State Park position. Ryan Shorter transferred to Coweta County. Charles Follin transferred to Fayette County. Caleb Thomas transferred to Murray County/ Ft. Mtn. State Park. Corporal Daniel Gray was the Region 1 nominee for Game Warden of the Year. Game Warden 2 Tyler Lewis was the State Torch Award winner. GWFC1 Frank Pucci was the State Boating Safety winner. Corporal Daniel Gray was the Region 1 nominee for the Wild Turkey Award. \nOperational Fiscal Year 2020 has been an unprecedented year. The onset of COVID-19 and riots in Atlanta due to Police shootings, produced calls for service outside the Game Warden norm. Region 1 officers along with those from across the state worked long tireless hours making late night medical runs to help facilities combat COVID-19 to ATV crowd and security details in downtown Atlanta. \n38 \n \n In April 2020, Game Wardens Ryan Shorter and Brock Hoyt relayed an urgent and late-night shipment of medical supplies to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. The 7- hour round trip from Kennesaw to Albany provided the states most affected region essential surgical equipment, protective gear for hospital workers, and ventilators for critical patients. \nIn October 2019, Cpl. Chad Cox located a small truck parked off Hwy 101 in Yorkville. Cpl. Cox waited near the truck until it got dark and then used his night vison googles to watch two people walking in the woods. When the first person exited the woods, he shined a light in the direction of Cpl. Cox's patrol vehicle, so Cpl. Cox drove his vehicle closer and identified himself. The other subject was hiding in the nearby woods and Cpl. Cox directed him to come out of the woods. Both suspects had tried to hide their rifles and hunting gear. Both were arrested and taken to the Paulding County Jail for hunting without a license, hunting without a big game license, hunting without fluorescent orange vest and possession of firearm by a convicted felon. \nIn March of 2020 Game Warden Carla Gann noticed suspicious vehicles parked near one of the reservoirs on Rocky Mtn. PFA. GW Gann was unable to locate the individuals at the time. A few days later GW Gann and GW Warren were able to put a cellular camera out in an area near the Lower Reservoir. Due to the location of the camera and the timely pictures that the Game Wardens were able to receive, there were 4 total cases made from the Month of March thru the Month of May. Those 4 cases made a total of 14 individuals caught, 55 fish confiscated (multiple species) and 16 misdemeanor citations. On one occasion the subjects caught were repeat offenders and resulted in higher fine amounts. \n39 \n \n In November 2019, Sgt. Eric Brown, Sgt Brooks Varnell, K-9 Taz, Cpl. Daniel Gray, GW Brock Hoyt, and GW Ryan Shorter successfully executed a detail to catch a notorious poacher in Fulton County. The subject was arrested and charged with hunting without permission, hunting big game over bait, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of THC oil. The investigation was a month-long surveillance detail. \nIn November 2019, Game Warden Garrett Pownall became aware of and began helping Alabama DCNR with an investigation of a wildlife rehabilitator who had several violations in Alabama and Georgia. Game Warden Pownall issued 4 citations to the individual including rehabilitating without a permit and rehabilitating in an unapproved facility. The individual was arrested for violating probation after being charged with over 20 violations in Alabama. \nIn November 2019, GW Brock Hoyt and GW Tyler Lewis completed a dual county investigation on a subject deer hunting in Fulton and Cobb County. A total of 8 citations and 7 warnings were issued for hunting without permission, hunting big game over bait, taking over the limit of antlered deer, and failure to record harvest. An 11-point buck, 10-point buck, and 8-point buck were confiscated during the investigation. \nIn March 2020, Sgt. Eric Brown, Cpl. Daniel Gray, Cpl. Zack Hardy, GW Ryan Shorter, GW Garrett Pownall and GW Brock Hoyt conducted an inspection on a taxidermy shop in Haralson County. During the inspection Game Wardens discovered 223 violations. 11 warnings/citations were issued during the investigation. \nIn June 2020 Cpl. Hendrix was dispatched to a boating incident with injuries on Allatoona Lake in Cherokee County. When Cpl. Hendrix arrived on scene, he was met with something unusual. The victim was operating a Jetovator, which is operated behind a jet-ski. The victim while operating this Jetovator was approximately 20 feet in the air when he crashed down on top of the Jet-ski, where he suffered several broken bones. \nIn October 2019, Cpl. Hendrix finished an on-going investigation in Cherokee County involving night hunters. During this investigation five individuals were implicated in a continuing night hunting ring. Cpl. Hendrix was able to gain evidence in the case and after a long investigation took a total of 41 warrants on the individuals. The charges in this case were all in correlation with night hunting deer. \n40 \n \n In October 2019 Game Warden Tyler Lewis was patrolling Cobb County when he came across a vehicle on property that is not legal to hunt. After contacting two subjects that were hunting on the property an investigation ensued. Game Warden Tyler Lewis was able to find a rife hidden in the woods, illegal narcotics on the subjects, the deer stands on private property, and bait under the tree stands. After finding out who the rifle belonged to, that subject's criminal history was ran, finding out he was a convicted felon. Charges in this case included possession of a sawed-off rifle with a homemade silencer, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of meth, hunting without permission, and hunting big game over bait. \nIn December 2019 Game Warden Tyler Lewis was foot patrolling land owned by Cobb County. While patrolling he encountered a subject hunting with a rifle. Through interviewing the individual, he learned that a second subject was also hunting in the area. Through further investigation the second subject was located, also on Cobb County property. While conducting his investigation he received information that one of the individuals is a convicted felon and the other individual had cocaine with him. The individuals were arrested and charged with violations ranging from possession of firearm by a convicted felon, possession of cocaine, to hunting with a firearm in a closed firearm county, hunting without permission, hunting without a big game license, and hunting without a license. \nIn April 2020 Game Warden Steven Martinez received a call of several people drinking alcohol and causing a disturbance on Red Top State Park. Game Warden Martinez responded to the scene by boat and when pulling up to the bank all the subjects took off running on foot. After docking the boat on shore, he went in the direction the subjects ran and came across two of the individuals leaving in a vehicle. He was able to get them stopped when he asked for identification. The subject told Game Warden Steven Martinez he would not give him his identification, at which time Martinez attempted to open the car door. The driver then took off dragging Game Warden Martinez down the road. He let go of the vehicle and rolled into the ditch and the driver ran off the road striking a telephone pole. The subject was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, felony narcotics, and DUI. \nOne of the largest investigations conducted by section Wardens was initiated on November 19th, 2019. The photograph is Warden Ryan Thomas with several of the bucks confiscated during a lengthy investigation that was conducted by GW Thomas, GW Travis Shrader and Cpl. Casey Jones. After reviewing evidence seized from six search warrants and conducting multiple interviews with witnesses, landowners, and the suspects, it was discovered that six men had killed at least 16 deer illegally. Seven of the illegally taken deer were recovered. The six poachers \n41 \n \n were charge with 140 different violations including multiple counts of hunting without permission, hunting without license, hunting without big game license, taking antlerless deer, taking over the limit of bucks, hunting deer at night, hunting from a motor vehicle, hunting from a public road and reporting and recording violations. Currently, four of the men have pled guilty receiving two years of probation, a two-year suspension of their hunting rights and $3000 in fines each. One of the poachers failed to appear in court and is currently at large. \nCpl. Casey Jones (left) and GW Ryan Thomas (right) view tornado damage. In April 2020, a tornado struck the City of Fort Oglethorpe in Catoosa County. Game Warden Travis Shrader assisted the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office and the Fort Oglethorpe Police Department with calls for service, traffic control, and debris removal. Game Warden Shrader also assisted with two successful recoveries of subjects from flooded waters. This same tornado touched down again in North Murray County hitting a mobile home community. There were seven fatalities. Game Wardens Casey Jones and Ryan Thomas immediately responded and assisted with debris removal and the search for missing persons. Several additional Wardens were called upon in the following days to assist as well. \nIn February 2020, Game Wardens Sgt. James Keener, Travis Shrader, Ryan Thomas, Mark Moyer, and Kalem Burn were called to assist with a plane crash in Gordon County. A small plane had disappeared off radar around 12:45 am. Due to the location and terrain Game Wardens assisted with locating the crash scene and victims. The search became a multiple day search. All four victims of the crash were located and recovered from the wreckage. DNR Aviation and Game Wardens with ATVs continued to assist the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA for several days with the location of wreckage and recovery due to the remote location. \n42 \n \n In March 2020, Game Warden Ryan Thomas was patrolling Coosawattee WMA when he observed a vehicle driving recklessly. Warden Thomas attempted to stop the vehicle which resulted in a brief pursuit. The suspect eventually stopped where he was taken into custody by Thomas and Cpl. Casey Jones. The suspect was found to be in possession of two ounces of methamphetamine, a quantity of marijuana, scales, pipes, and packaging material. A firearm was also recovered that the subject had thrown out of the window during the chase. \nCorporal Keith Page is currently assigned to Spalding County. Corporal Page is an active K9 officer with the department with officer Rio as his K9 and routinely travels outside the work section to assist. In December of 2019 Corporal Page was called to Bleckley County to assist with a report that a group of duck hunters had been shot at, but the possible suspect may have hidden his firearm. Corporal Page responded with K9 Rio and after a thorough search of the area K9 Rio alerted on a hidden rifle and shell casings believed to be used in the crime. \nIn October 2020, Game Warden Charles Follin observed multiple discrepancies in reporting and tagging at a local deer processor involving a 16pt antlered deer in Coweta County. After a lengthy investigation including multiple search warrants of phones and residences, interviews, and evidence collection it was determined that the hunter was utilizing his elderly father's free lifetime hunting license. The hunter himself did not possess a license and had also reported multiple other antlered and antlerless deer on his father's license earlier in the season and the previous season. The hunter was charged with multiple license violations, two counts of violation of harvest recording requirements, and interference with a Game Wardens duty. \n43 \n \n Region II- Gainesville \nThe Gainesville Region is comprised of 26 Northeast Georgia Counties which include part of the metro Atlanta area. Within these counties are 10 major impoundments, three major rivers, 16 Wildlife Management Areas, 220 miles of trout streams, 23 State Park Properties, and 328,500 acres of National Forest lands. The impoundments receive over 20 million visitors annually while the state parks and WMA's receive another three million. The tremendous amount of visitation and use on these properties, as well as private property usage, creates a great deal of diverse law enforcement issues that the 35 Game Wardens of this region continually address. \nPromotions and Personnel Changes GW1 Jared Wood promoted to GW2, GW1 Jeffery Turner promoted to GW2, GW2 Jonathan Segars promoted to GWFC1, GW2 Ryan Locke promoted to GWFC1, GW2 Shane Brown promoted to GWFC1, GWFC1 Kevin Goss promoted to GWFC2, GWFC1 Brandon Pierce promoted to GWFC2, GW1 Savannah Miller promoted to GW2, GW2 Matt Johnson promoted to GWFC1, GW1 Chandler Hamrick promoted to GW2, GW2 Beth Gilbert promoted to GWFC1, GW2 Dan Schay promoted to GWFC1, GW1 Ryan Cleveland promoted to GW2, and GW1 Bryan Price promoted to GW2. GW Tommy Crabb Retired on September 1, 2019, GWFC Chad Chambers Retired on April 1, 2020, and GWFC David Webb transferred from Towns County to Upson County. \nPersonnel Awards Game Warden Ryan Locke was the Region II Game Warden of the Year and the LED State Game Warden of the Year, Cpl. Craig Fulghum was the Region II Boating Safety Officer of the Year, Game Warden Joe Hill was the Region II Investigative Game Warden of the Year and the LED State Investigative Game Warden of the Year. \nOperational Captain Elrod served as OIC during the riots and protests several times, including the metro Atlanta area and Stone Mountain. He led from the front and served side by side with his men, holding the line, while bricks, rocks, and obscenities rained down on them. \nCpl. Anne Wiley responded to a complaint at Dukes Creek on Smithgall Woods in White County on May 4, 2020, where an individual was cast netting trout from the creek. Cpl. Wiley discovered three individuals along the creek and one of them was in possession of a cast net and 34 trout. None of them possessed a fishing rod, fishing license or trout license. This stretch of the creek also requires a permit to fish and none of them had that either. Citations were issued in the incident. The fish were confiscated and given to a family in need. \n44 \n \n Sgt. Dillard's Work Unit - In November 2019, Corporal Tim Vickery received a call from an officer with the Lavonia Police Department stating that a subject had gotten stuck in a right-ofway inside the city limits. The officer believed the subject to be hunting. Corporal Vickery met with the officer and talked to the subject, whom he knew from previous interactions. The subject denied hunting the property in question, although the truck was filled with hunting equipment. After a search of the vehicle, a rifle with an illegal silencer and a deer head were discovered. The deer was confiscated, and the rifle seized. Two other rifles were found, one of which had a night vision scope. The subject was released that night. A couple days later, Corporal Vickery obtained a search warrant for the subject's phone based on previous encounters and the fact that he had shown several dead deer pictures from his phone to an assisting officer on the scene of the initial incident. After interviewing the subject, his phone was seized with the warrant and taken to the GBI for analysis. After searching the phone and meeting with the District Attorney, 45 warrants were taken on the subject for charges including felony possession of an illegal silencer, hunting without permission, hunting without a license, recording and reporting requirements, taking over the season limit of antlered deer, hunting at night and hunting from a vehicle. Covid-19 has prevented a grand jury from being empaneled. The case is still pending. \n45 \n \n Sgt. Brown's Work Unit - Game Wardens worked the Georgia Outdoor News Blast at the Gwinnett Infinite Energy Center where they interacted with most of the attendees. Citizens from all over the state had their questions answered and were able to learn more of our duties and responsibilities. \nSgt. Lee Brown and Cpl. Eddie Tomkins assisted Cpl. Eric Isom and GW Jeffery Turner with a BUI suspect on Lake Lanier. When Sgt. Brown and Cpl. Tompkins arrived, the subject was in the water and uncooperative. Several attempts were made to get him into the boat, unsuccessfully. The subject was struggling to stay afloat and Sgt. Brown entered the water to try and rescue him. While trying to do this the subject hit Sgt. Brown and swam away from him. Sgt. Brown followed him to the shore where the subject was arrested and transported to the Hall County Detention Center. \nGame Wardens patrolled Chestatee WMA for the first \"Bear Dog Hunt\" in North Georgia. This hunt was very successful. There were not any issues with the hunters and the success rate was high. \nGame Wardens assisted the City of Dahlonega, the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office, and other local, state, and federal agencies with a \"Rally\" in downtown Dahlonega. The Game Wardens primary duties were to protect the Dahlonega Gold Museum which was done without incident. \nOn the opening day of the 2019 archery season, Cpl. Eddie Tompkins and Game Warden First Class Shane Brown started an investigation into a subject that was running an illegal guide service. This investigation took about a year to complete. A total of 83 warrants were taken out as a result of this investigation. Game Wardens from Regions I and II worked together spending over 500 hours investigating this case. \nGame Wardens patrolled Fort Yargo and Panola Mountain State Parks during the peak of Covid19. The number of users at these parks drastically increased during this period. On numerous occasions Fort Yargo State Park was shut down due to the park being at capacity. With Game Wardens assisting the park staff no major issues occurred. \nSgt. Brown's work unit welcomed a new Game Warden. Game Warden Taylor Gilmore was hired and assigned to Dekalb and Rockdale Counties. She completed the Game Warden Academy and is currently in Field Training under the supervision Cpl. Kevin Godbee and GWFC Dan Schay who are Field Training Officers. \n46 \n \n Sgt. Roberson's Work Unit - Game Wardens from Sgt Jason Roberson's work section had a very busy year. They are tasked with managing Hall, Jackson, Banks, and Barrow Counties and are responsible for working boating safety on Lake Lanier. This section always proves to be a high activity area and this year was no exception. The work section saw an unusual amount of personnel changes during the past year. Game Warden Dan Schay transferred into the section in November and was assigned to Barrow County. Game Warden Jared Wood transferred into the section and was assigned to Hall County in January. Due to budget reductions, the work section changed. Forsyth County was added to the section and Barrow County was removed. Game Warden Savanna Miller came to the section with Forsyth County and Jared Wood transferred to a vacant position in the Mountain work unit. Cpl. Eric Isom transferred to his home county of Harris, Cpl. Loudermilk promoted to Admin Sgt, and Game Warden Chandler Hamrick transferred into Hall County from the coast. Even with this turnover, the men and women still got the job done. They nearly doubled their production of BUI arrests finishing with 84, worked five drownings, investigated 26 boating incidents, completed several poaching related investigations, and patrolled Mossy Creek, Don Carter, and Fort Yargo State Parks. \nGame Warden Ryan Lock had an outstanding year. He began an in-depth investigation into a night hunting ring that contained multiple subjects. This investigation unveiled twenty illegally taken bucks and resulted in the confiscation of twelve trophy bucks. Fifty-six charges were made on seven individuals. These charges included hunting deer at night, hunting from a vehicle, hunting from a public road, possession of over the limit, and numerous other violations. \nCorporal Adam Loudermilk organized a youth deer hunt in Banks County. This hunt takes place on property owned by Banks County and allows the area youth an opportunity to hunt after first writing an essay that details their reason for attending. This past year twenty hunters participated and were able to harvest fourteen deer. \nGame Warden Locke was also recognized as the 2020 State of Georgia Game Warden of the Year. \nSgt. Patterson's Work Unit - Cpl. Tim Butler (Oconee County) GWFC Phillip Nelson (Oglethorpe County) GWFC Mark Stephens (Clarke County) GWFC Shane Sartor (Elbert County) and Sgt. Mark Patterson transitioned to Region II Gainesville as part of the Division restructuring. Cpl. Craig Fulghum was the Region II Boating Safety Officer of the Year \nThe work section assisted with annual Outdoor Dream Foundation duck hunt at Skeeter Branch Shooting Preserve in Hart County serving as guides and mentors to children with terminal illnesses. \nMembers of the work unit were part of the CAT Teams that responded to Murray County to assist after a tornado touched down causing significant damage. They also responded to Tugaloo State Park to assist the State Parks and Historic Site Division with a tornado that touched down there. \nGame Wardens assisted with the protest/riot security details in Atlanta, Stone Mountain, Athens, and Hartwell. Several also deployed during Hurricane Dorian to assist local agencies and citizens. \n47 \n \n COVID-19 Response  Game Wardens worked Hard Labor Creek State Park providing security, conducted medical relays of much needed PPE to various locations all over the state, enforced the Governor's Executive Order and performed compliance patrols on state properties. \nGW Ryan Cleveland attended Swift Water Boat Operators Course. \nGWFC Phillip Nelson participated in sonar searches on Lake Hartwell and Lake Lanier as a sonar operator. \nSgt. Seitz's Work Unit - Game Warden Joe Hill was the Region II Investigative Game Warden of the Year and then was awarded the State Investigative Game Warden of the Year. Game Warden Hill worked a four-month long investigation involving a major wildlife violator in two Georgia counties and Florida. Game Warden Hill's aggressive investigating resulted in 44 arrest warrants taken out on the subject. Several of the charges were convicted felon with a firearm, hunting without a license and hunting without a big game license and many other charges. The subject pled to a few of the charges but was convicted on others and served some jail time. He was also placed on probation and lost his hunting privileges for six years. \nGame Wardens Matt Johnson and Shane Brown had received complaints of hunting deer at night early in the year. Their efforts to catch someone were not successful. After the hunting season had ended Game Warden Johnson received a complaint about a deer that had been shot in March. Game Warden Johnson worked the complaint and was able to catch the subject who shot the deer. The subject was charged for hunting deer at night and other charges. This is believed to be the subject that was hunting at night on the complaint earlier in the year. \nGame Warden Johnson spends many hours working Dawson Forest WMA. During some of these patrols he has caught subjects cutting fences, spraying graffiti, and tearing up roads and damaging gates. These subjects that Game Warden Johnson have caught have been charged with damaging department property, criminal trespass, and other charges. \nOther Activity Game Wardens participated in \"Operation Shut Gate\" logging numerous hours worked that led to the arrest of subjects that were stealing guns, equipment, and other items from WMA's across the state. \nRegion II sent Game Wardens to Hurricane Dorian that was threatening the Georgia Coast. \nRegion II sent Game Wardens to Murray County in Region I to assist with a tornado that hit that community. \n48 \n \n Region III- Thomson \nThe Region III Law Enforcement Division is comprised of twenty-eight counties from East Central Georgia to the Piedmont. Within the region, there are twenty-three Wildlife Management Areas, 3 VPS's (voluntary public access), nine State Parks, three Public Fishing Areas, three Public Dove Fields. Region III is home to Clarks Hill Lake, Lake Sinclair, Lake Juliette, Lake Tobesofkee, Lake Jackson and Lake Oconee. River systems include the Savannah River, Ogeechee River, Oconee River, Apalachee River, and the Ohoopee river. 34 post certified Game Wardens, one Administrative Assistant and a part-time secretary are assigned to the region. \nPromotions \u0026 Personnel Changes Region III welcomed GW Taylor Bingham to fill the Burke County position \u0026 Rainee Rowell as part time secretary. Sgt. Max Boswell retired after 30 years with the LED. Cpl. Ryan Swain retired with 24 years. GW Cpl. Robert Stillwell and GW Chris Adkins resigned. GWFC David Fisher was promoted to Cpl. GW Kevin Hurley, Jason Bennett and Erin McDade promoted to GW2. GWFC Jeremy Reese came back to the field as the Jasper County GW after a detachment to IU. GW Bobby Timmerman promoted to Corporal. Sgt. Brian Hobbins returned to Region III from Region IV. \nRegion III Personnel Awards Cpl. Bubba Stanford 2020 NWTF Game Warden of the year. Cpl. David Fisher 2019 Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Game Warden of the year. GWFC Josh Cockrell 2019 DNR Hunter Education Instructor of the year. Cpl. Derrell Worth Reg. 3 2019 NWTF Officer of the year. John Rhodes the Region 2019 Boating Officer of the year, 2020 Torch Award Nominee, and the 2020 Game Warden of the year. \nIn the Community During the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic, GW's assisted other state/local agencies with transporting and delivering medical supplies and equipment. They delivered ventilators, PPE, hand sanitizer and a Triage tent to a local hospital. \nGW's presented programs to the public in local schools, sportsman's groups, the Perry Ag Center (Buckarama and Turkeyrama) and the Warner Robbin AFB. These programs ranged from recruiting future Game Wardens to answering general questions from the public. \n49 \n \n Several Region III GW's assisted with state/local protests in Atl, Athens, and Louisville. \nHelping Hand In June, GW Levi Thompson received a call-in reference to stranded boaters on the Ocmulgee River in Butts County. Utilizing Swiftwater gear he made his way across the river to help the elderly couple safely back to land. \nGW's deployed for hurricane and tornado details \u0026 assisted with search \u0026 rescue. GWFC David Webb, Sgt. Sweat, Cpl. Tony Wynne \u0026 GWFC Jeremy Reese assisted with welfare checks, traffic control, \u0026 clearing debris from the roadway after a tornado rated at an EF-3 in Upson County. \nGW William L. Smith located an abandoned vehicle in the ditch in the Danburg area of Wilkes County. When he ran the car tag through the computer it came back registered to a female subject that had been reported missing in Lamar County. The subject had dementia \u0026 had been missing for a week. Game Wardens, Aviation, Wilkes SO, Wilkes EMA, \u0026 volunteers were involved in the search of the area for two days before the woman was found. While in the helicopter, GW Smith and Lt. Robert Steht located the deceased woman approximately one mile from her vehicle in a wooded area. \nHunting \u0026 Fishing Activity While patrolling for dove hunting activity in early September, GWFC Nolan Callaway located a morning dove shoot. Callaway looked around the area \u0026 found bags of birds hidden. At the conclusion of his investigation, Callaway determined that at least four of the hunters had taken over their daily limit. Those four individuals were charged with taking over the daily limit. The 118 doves were confiscated \u0026 donated to a church. \n50 \n \n GWFC Cowart responded to a hunting without permission complaint in Warren County. Upon arrival, Cowart inspected the vehicle that was parked on the property \u0026 noticed hunting related items in the vehicle. While exiting the woods the trespasser saw Cowart \u0026 fled on foot. Sgt. Garthright, Cpl. Boles, \u0026 GW Smith responded to assist Cowart along with Warren County S.O., GSP, \u0026 MCCD. A department of corrections K-9 officer was called to assist. It was believed that the suspect had been picked up. GW's took inventory of his vehicle \u0026 had it towed \u0026 secured. During the search, GW's located marijuana \u0026 meth inside the vehicle. The four GW's visited the suspect's house later that night \u0026 could not locate suspect. GW's interviewed his son and he admitted to picking up his dad on the road. The next morning, the suspect called Wardens apologizing \u0026 wanting to meet. The suspect met Cowart at the R3 office \u0026 was interviewed. The suspect was arrested, and warrants were secured for Hunting Without Permission, Hunting Without Florescent Orange, Obstruction of a Law Enforcement Officer, Possession of Marijuana Less than one ounce, \u0026 Possession of Methamphetamine. \nCpl. Derrell Worth had an outstanding enforcement year for the 2020 turkey season. He spent many hours looking for bait \u0026 working investigations. He also used trail cameras to monitor areas in order to prioritize his time amidst patrols for executive order. Worth documented 10 hunting big game over bait contacts. In addition to those charges, he documented seven license violations and five hunting without permission. \nWhile checking one baited property, Worth discovered that a turkey had been killed over bait. He worked an investigation into the illegal kill and was able to determine which club member took the turkey. Later in the season, Worth was able to contact the hunter and interview him, getting a confession out of the hunter. \nCpl. Ricky Boles responded to a night hunting complaint in North Morgan County. Boles was able to locate an individual cleaning a deer at the rear of his house. Boles determined that the individual shot the deer at night from his back porch. While working this investigation, Boles located several deer heads of recently killed bucks. While questioning the individual about those deer, Boles learned that the deer were killed during daylight hours by two non-resident hunters. Neither of these hunters had license to hunt in Georgia. Boles made phone contact with these two nonresidents hunters \u0026 interviewed them. The one individual was charged with Hunting Deer at Night. The other two were charged with non-resident hunting without license and non-resident hunting without big game license. \nCpl. Ricky Boles provided a two-day ride a-long opportunity to Skyler Redmond, who works at the Charlie Elliott gun range. He is very interested in becoming a Game Warden with the Law Enforcement Division. During the ride-a-long, Cpl. Boles discovered that Skyler was a big duck hunter, but had never deer hunted \u0026 had never killed a deer. Boles set up a deer hunt with Skyler \u0026 guided him on an experience he will never forget. Skyler was able to harvest his first deer, a nine pointer. \n51 \n \n GW John Rhodes investigated a complaint of a subject taking over the limit of antlered deer during the 2018-2019 season. He utilized all available resources to investigate this complaint \u0026 uncover evidence from a year ago. He learned that the individual uses one taxidermist for all his wildlife mounts. Rhodes visited this taxidermist \u0026 did a routine inspection. He learned that not only did the suspected violator have deer at this taxidermist shop, but so did the complainant. The complainant did not have any license to hunt deer during the season in question. Rhodes visited with the taxidermist on 4 occasions, gathered as much information from the complainant as possible, interviewed suspect \u0026 complainant, and pulled evidence off social media. At the conclusion of his investigation, Rhodes had enough evidence to charge complainant \u0026 suspect. He charged the complainant with hunting w/o license, hunting w/o big game license, and failure to report deer harvest. The complainant's deer was confiscated. The suspect was charged with taking over the limit of antlered deer \u0026 failure to report deer harvest. One 8-point buck rack was confiscated from the suspect. \nOn April 9, 2020, Cpl. Tony Wynne received a call asking for assistance in recovering an ATV \u0026 other items stolen from his property in Monroe County. Cpl. Wynne and GW Cadet Ryan Buice located and followed tracks from the scene. After an extensive search of the area the ATV was located along with several burglary tools. \nIn early spring Sgt. Travis Sweat was notified of a rash of break-ins on the cash box at High Falls State Park's Buck Creek boat ramp. Two Spartan cell cameras were placed in the area to track the influx of customers \u0026 try to identify the suspect. Several phots were obtained and a suspect was identified. After several days Cpl. Wil Smith caught the suspect in the act and placed him under arrest. \nOn November 25, 2019, Cpl. Wil Smith received two screenshots from social media that showed a suspect posing with three harvested antlered deer. According to the posts, the suspect claimed to have killed all three. Two deer, a 6-point, \u0026 an 8-point were killed on Oct. 23rd \u0026 the third, a 10point, was killed on Nov. 24th. Cpl. Smith began an investigation by going to the local deer cooler \u0026 reviewing the records. Cpl. Smith found that the suspect had checked in three antlered bucks on the corresponding dates. A check of the DNR Game Check system revealed the suspect had checked only one antlered buck as of November 25th. Smith went to the suspects residence \u0026 interviewed him. The suspect initially claimed that he had killed one deer on October 23rd \u0026 \"found\" the second deer in his yard \u0026 it appeared to have been struck by a car. The suspect altered his story \u0026 claimed the deer appeared to have been shot and struck by a car. Smith confronted the suspect with the social media posts \u0026 the texts that claimed he killed both \u0026 one was in memory of his father. A confession was obtained, and the suspect was charged with taking over the limit of antlered deer. The 10 point was seized, and appropriate charges were made. The meat from the seized deer was donated to the Ocmulgee Branch of QDMA (a nonprofit organization) \u0026 used to feed homeless citizens in the area. \n52 \n \n March 2020 Nebraska Game Warden Brandon O'neill reached out to GW Levi Thompson \u0026 GW Jeremy Reese regarding a resident of Jasper County. The resident allegedly harvested a mule deer the year prior without having a special permit for the animal. Thompson, Reese, \u0026 O'Neill did a thorough investigation \u0026 in the end all the parties involved were charged. The resident plead guilty to all charges \u0026 the mule deer buck was seized for educational purposes. \nAll game wardens are involved with collateral duties. Sgt. Hobbins continued his role as a Firearms Instructor. Cpl. Payne continues to be a member of the Honor Guard. Cpl. Billips became a POST Instructor, taught in the Advanced Game Warden Academy, and is a member of the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT). Finally, GW Paulk joined the Special Operation Group (SOG). \nCorporal Billips, received a complaint of night hunting on Cox Place Road in Burke County. The complainant owns property on Cox Place Road \u0026 said his renter called him about a rifle shot being fired at approximately 5:30 AM from the road nearby. Cpl. Payne arrived at the scene and discovered evidence consistent with a White-tailed deer being shot from the road, dragged from the edge of the woods, \u0026 loaded into a vehicle. Cpl. Payne noted at least two distinct boot tracks associated with dragging the deer to the vehicle. \nOn October 13,2019 the complainant called Cpl. Billips \u0026 said a rifle shot had been fired from a truck on Cox Place Road at approximately 6:40 AM. Sunrise for this date was 7:30 AM. Carswell said he was in his deer stand \u0026 could see a spotlight being shined from a vehicle and then a rifle shot was fired. arrived on scene at approximately 7:35 AM. As Cpl. Billips was talking with the complainant, a maroon Nissan Frontier truck approached from the direction of Botsford Church Road. The Frontier turned left on Thomson Bridge Road \u0026 Billips attempted to catch up to the truck. Billips caught up with the vehicle \u0026 initiated a vehicle stop. Three subjects were in the truck. All three worked at as pipe fitters at Plant Vogtle. Two were Florida residents \u0026 one Alabama resident. A loaded bolt action rifle was lying beside the passenger. In the bed of the truck was a large amount of blood covering the entire bed, tailgate, \u0026 rear bumper along with white-tailed deer hair scattered on the bed. After questioning the subjects admitted to killing a deer that morning as well as the morning of the earlier complaint. \n53 \n \n GWFC Nolan Callaway became one of the Division's newest K-9 Officers. He received his K-9, Judge in January. Callaway \u0026 K-9 Judge underwent weeks of training \u0026 graduated the K-9 Academy. Since then, they have assisted local agencies with searches for missing persons \u0026 articles searches. They have also helped other Game Wardens uncover evidence during wildlife enforcement investigations. \nCpl. Bobby Timmerman received a hunting without permission complaint in Columbia County during deer season. After meeting the complainant, he investigated the area \u0026 located deer bait. He checked the area numerous times without locating the violator. A camera was deployed. It was activated after dark a couple weeks later by an individual going into hunt. Cpl. Timmerman, GW Saxon Campbell, \u0026 GW Jared Wood responded to the scene \u0026 located the subject hunting deer with a .22 caliber rifle. He was charged with Hunting Deer at Night, Hunting W/O Permission, Hunting with Illegal Weapon, \u0026 Hunting Big Game Over Bait. \nCpl. Ryan Swain had an informant notify him of an illegal chicken fight in progress in Lincoln County. Cpl. Swain notified Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Major \u0026 retired DNR LED Sgt. Jim Wallen with the information. Five Lincoln County Deputies \u0026 Swain raided the address \u0026 found the fights under way. Forty-four people were arrested, and $16,000.00 dollars was confiscated. Thirty federal indictments have been levied against these defendants for various charges including Cruelty to Animals, Gambling, etc. Section members also responded to Emanual County to assist federal agencies with Operation Sunrise, the name given to another illegal chicken fighting case. \nGW's made a concerted effort to locate traps this year. GW Osborne located one trap line in Lincoln County \u0026 GW Adkins located four trap lines in Columbia County. Trappers responsible for four of the five lines were apprehended and charged with 13 violations. These included Trapping W/O a License (3), Trapping W/O Permission (2), Failure to Tag Traps (4), Failure to Check within 24 Hours (2), Oversized Traps, \u0026 Failure to Carry Choke stick. \nRegion III GW's arrested 31 operators for BUI, responded to and investigated 22 boat incidents and worked 6 drownings. \n54 \n \n Region IV- Metter \nIn January 2020, the Law Enforcement Division streamlined field operations and closed the Macon Region office. The Metter Region changed from Region VI to Region IV. During realignments of the Regions, Region IV went from covering 32 counties to covering 27 counties. The Metter Region now covers over 10,000 square miles of land mass and stretches from the Savannah River to Interstate 75. The Region IV Game Wardens patrol over 121,000 square acres of public land that includes five state parks, seventeen WMA properties, three PFA properties, multiple VPA properties and Department of Corrections dove fields. \nPersonnel The Metter office has a few new faces. Captain Scott Kling retired in 2019. Administrative Sergeant Chris Moore filled a vacant Sergeant position in the field. The office is now under the supervision of Captain Bob Lynn, who transferred from the Brunswick Region Office. The Administrative Sergeant position was filled by Kevin Joyce. Administrative Assistant 2 April Thrift, and Secretary Christina Colquitt continue to provide customer service to the Region's field staff and public. \nPersonnel Changes With the realignment of regions, field personnel were lost and gained when the counties they are assigned to were placed in their new regions. \nRetirements Captain Scott Klingel retired from the Metter Region Supervisor. GWFC Allen Mills retired from his Dodge County assignment. \nNew Hire GW Hunter Rush assigned to Laurens County. \nPromotions GWFC Patrick Gibbs promoted to Corporal. GWFC Rodney Horne promoted to Corporal. Corporal Kevin Joyce promoted to Administrative Sergeant. \nRegion Personnel Awards GWFC Bobby Sanders Region IV Ranger of the Year. GW Cameron Dyal Region IV Torch Award and Boating Safety Officer of the Year. GWFC Randell Meeks Region IV Hunter Education Instructor of the Year. \nState Personnel Awards GWFC Randell Meeks Hunter Education Instructor of the Year. \n55 \n \n The versatility of a Game Warden \nAs in years past, Region IV wardens were used for natural disasters response. Wardens were staged and ready when Hurricane Dorian brushed the coast of Georgia. Thankfully, there was minimum damage to the state. Then with the new year of 2020, new unforeseen problems arose. A global pandemic became the biggest challenge for all Americans. Region wardens answered the call by assisting in delivering and relaying medical supplies across the state. Wardens were also asked to be a constant presence on state owned lands. Wardens were there to guide the public in understanding Governor Kemp's executive orders. Those orders were in effect for most of spring and summer. Wardens also increased patrols of the rivers in the region. Region Wardens also responded across the state to assist with other DNR facilities where the heaviest visitation was seen such as state parks located in the Atlanta metro area. \nIn late spring nationwide civil unrest started. Protests happened in several areas of the state. Region IV wardens responded to Atlanta, Savannah, and Stone Mountain along with many other law enforcement agencies. Wardens also responded to several protest in the region and assisted the local law enforcement agencies that requested help. The wardens' abilities to use all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to cover long distances and to respond quickly became an asset. \nOur K-9 Officers also assist in showing the warden's versatility. GWFC Jack Thain has responded to numerous requests for K-9 with K-9 Case. Among the results of these calls are the recovery of 7 stolen firearms. A subject that cut himself breaking into his residence fled the scene due to family violence and it was believed he may bleed out. The subject was located by K-9 Case in a nearby field. A man running from Law Enforcement to avoid a DUI was tracked and recovered by K-9 Case. K-9 Case was used in the case of an elderly man was missing for more than 24 hours. The elderly man was recovered alive in an area that K-9 Case had not yet cleared and had been ruled as a last option for search efforts. \nTurkey Season \nTurkey season of 2020 took an unusual turn as the season began. Wardens' attention was diverted to dealing with COVID 19 and assisting with the challenges that came with it. \nNight Hunting \nWith large tracts of timber and agriculture fields being crisscrossed by dirt roads and county maintained paved roads in mainly rural settings, poachers have ample areas to violate the law by night hunting. Region IV Wardens successfully caught 57 groups of violators. Stops for night hunting violations often lead to other criminal violations. \nCorporal Patrick Gibbs conducted a stop for illegal night hunting activity in Evans County. The stop also led to charges that included drugs and alcohol. \n56 \n \n Corporal Tim Hutto and GW Luke Rabun stopped a vehicle that attempted to flee a night hunting stop in Coffee County. In their possession was two glass jars of clear liquid suspected to be moonshine, and a drug related object used to smoke methamphetamine. The duo was charged with multiple charges including hunting under the influence, fleeing and attempting to elude, and many other traffic related offenses. The driver was also wanted for burglarizing a convenience store in Coffee County. \nInvestigations As in the past, Region IV Game Wardens have been successful at using tips from the Ranger Hotline and social media platforms such as FaceBook, Instagram and SnapChat along with boots on the ground experience to investigate fish and game violations. \nGWFC Randell Meeks completed an investigation in Treutlen County that started with a complaint about a video on social media that shows a total of 62 waterfowl lined up after a shoot. After obtaining data through warrants, GWFC Meeks was able to identify all the persons involved in the illegal waterfowl hunting activity. GWFC Meeks interviewed the participants who admitted to shooting the waterfowl after hours. \nGWFC Jack Thain began an investigation on two subjects digging artifacts on Tuckahoe WMA. After identifying one of the suspects, Sgt. Shaymus McNeely, GWFC Jason Miller and GWFC Thain were able to interview the suspects. Both suspects admitted to digging artifacts on Tuckahoe WMA. The case yielded 9 boxes of flaked stone tools being confiscated. Charges included theft by taking, entering a WMA without a land pass, excavation of artifacts on state property, possession of methamphetamine and marijuana, and driving while suspended and without a registration. \n57 \n \n GWFC Clint Jarriel initiated an investigation in Tattnall County that determined a trophy buck was taken without a license. The subject was interviewed and written a citation for hunting big game without a big game license. This deer was killed and entered into a big buck contest for which it would have been the winner. \nCorporal Tim Hutto started an investigation into a carcass dump complaint in Atkinson County. GW Luke Rabun completed the investigation and executed arrest warrants on a suspect for charges including possession of firearms by convicted felon, hunting without permission, hunting without a license, hunting without big game license, and hunting without florescent orange. Upon interviewing the suspect, GW Rabun learned that the suspect also took camera from the dump site. GW Luke Rabun was able to locate the stolen camera and return it to its rightful owner. The suspect was subsequently charged with theft by taking. \nCorporal Dan Stiles completed an investigation in Wheeler County. Two individuals were interviewed. Two racks were confiscated. Charges included hunting without a license, hunting without a big game license and failure to record. \nAfter receiving information from the Oconee Drug Task Force, Corporal Dan Stiles and GW Austin Biggers did an investigation into the turkey fans and deer head. All were confiscated and the subject was charged with failure to record harvest. \n58 \n \n Waterfowl Region IV has many miles of creeks and rivers that flood the coastal plains and creates fantastic duck habitats. Along with the natural habitat and farm ponds that dot the landscape, ducks have many options on where to go. That also is a challenge for the wardens since the duck hunters are scattered out and in many instances are in remote nearly inaccessible locations. Even with those challenges, Region wardens recorded 45 contacts with duck hunters. \nCorporal Tim Hutto, K-9 Titan and GW Luke Rabun worked a duck shoot in Coffee County. With the help of K-9 Titan, four duck hunters with 20 illegally taken ducks were in a pond that was baited with corn and molasses. Ten citations and warnings were issued for hunting ducks over bait, possession over the daily limit of ducks and license violations. \nCorporal Patrick Gibbs and GWFC Bobby Sanders with confiscated ducks taken from a baited shoot in Appling County on the Altamaha River. \nProtecting the resources on state lands Patrolling state-owned lands became a priority during the spring as DNR lands were one of the few recreational avenues for the citizens of the state that was open during COVID 19. Wardens patrolled for violations of the Governor's Executive Orders along with normal patrol of these lands. WMA's in the southern section of the region continues to have people illegally picking Palmetto berries. \n59 \n \n Illegally picked Palmetto berries seized at Alapaha River WMA July 2019. (Left to right) GW John Kennedy, GW Thomas Sibley, Corporal Tim Hutto and GW Luke Rabun. \nOn August 19, 2019 Game Wardens Chris Thompson and Austin Biggers were patrolling Alapaha River Wildlife Management Area when they came across a pickup truck that had been gathering Palmetto Berries. Game Wardens stopped the truck and several subjects ran into the woods of the WMA. K9 Officer Greg Wade was called to assist in the search of the subjects at large. Fourteen bags of Palmetto Berries along with other supplies were confiscated as evidence and three subjects were arrested for theft by taking and criminal trespass. \nCommunity Involvement The Game Warden's most valuable asset is the community that he/she serves. Wardens teach hunter safety courses in their communities at least three times per year. Wardens also attend career days at local schools to recruit the next generation of wardens. Wardens also participate in National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) events to get to know their local hunters. While COVID 19 guidelines postponed many events and reduced the size of others, wardens continue to serve their communities. \nGame Wardens from Sergeant Morty Wood's work section participates in JAKE'S Day at Paradise PFA. \n60 \n \n Region V- Albany \nThe Region V Law Enforcement Division is comprised of thirty-one counties in the southwest portion of the state with the headquarters located in Albany. Within the region there are seven large reservoirs, two major rivers, a multitude of smaller streams, eighteen wildlife management areas, two Public Fishing Areas, nine State Parks, Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, and Ft. Benning Military Base. \nCurrently, the region has twenty-seven POST certified Game Wardens, with twenty-five assigned field duties, and Captain Rick Sellars and Sergeant Quinn Fogle assigned administrative responsibilities. The region also has two non-sworn administrative staff, Cindy Hynote the Administrative Assistant III, and part time secretary Jessica Jewell. \n \nThe Region's 31 counties are divided into 5 work units: \n \nL to R: Sgt. Quinn Fogle, AOC Cindy Hynote, Secretary Jessica Jewell, and Captain Rick Sellars \n \nLake Blackshear Work Section \n \nL to R: GW Logan South, GW Blake Chafin, Sgt. Al Greer, Cpl. Jesse Harrison, GW Stetson Stevens. R Picture: Cpl. Clint Martin \n \nThe new Region V realignment changed Sergeant Greer's section from 8 counties to 6 counties. These include Crisp, Dooly, Macon, Lee, Sumter, and Schley Counties. Sgt. Greer's section also includes Lake Blackshear, Georgia Veterans State Park, Flint River WMA, Montezuma Bluff WMA, and the Cordele Fish Hatchery. The Game Wardens who cover this area are Corporal Clint Martin, Corporal Jesse Harrison, Game Wardens Logan South, Stetson Stevens, and Blake Chafin. Blake and Stetson both graduated from the 33rd Game Warden Academy last year. \n \nThe work section spent over 1,000 hours working citizen complaints this year. The section issued 574 total violator contacts, worked three boating incidents, and one hunting incident. The section charged nine people for hunting deer at night and charged eight subjects with boating under the influence. \n \n61 \n \n GW Stetson Stevens with confiscated deer antlers \n \nGame Warden Stetson Stevens and Corporal Jesse Harrison received information about a subject taking over the limit of bucks. A local sporting goods store posted pictures of a subject on their Facebook page with two bucks he shot on the same weekend. Upon further investigation, it was discovered the subject had posted another buck he had already killed earlier in the season. Game Warden Stevens and Corporal Harrison met with the subject and the 3 European mounts were confiscated. The subject was cited for taking over the bag limit and failure to record harvest. \n \nGame Warden Logan South received information about a subject hunting without permission. He learned the subject posted the picture with him holding the deer on social media. Game Warden South interviewed the subject and cited him for several hunting violations. Later that same month Game Warden South learned the subject had killed another deer without permission and the subject was cited again for several hunting violations. \nCorporal Jesse Harrison, Game Wardens Blake Chafin, Logan South, and Stetson Stevens located a baited dove field. The six subjects were cited for hunting over bait, two subjects were charged with taking over the bag limit and 125 doves were confiscated. \n \nCorporal Clint Martin and Game Warden Blake Chafin were working night deer hunting and observed a vehicle using a light bar to illuminate a field. A subject in the vehicle fired 2 shots into the field. A traffic stop was conducted, and the 3 subjects were charged with several hunting violations. \n62 \n \n Lake Seminole Work Section \nThe Seminole work unit shares its borders with the states of Florida and Alabama. It is comprised of Seminole, Decatur, Grady, Early, Miller, and Baker Counties. It includes the 37,500-acre reservoir Lake Seminole, the new Tired Creek Reservoir, and approximately 100 miles of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. \nL to R: Sgt. Tony Cox, Cpl. Steve Thomas, GW Taylor Brown, and GW KP Boatright \nThe Seminole Work unit has experienced several personnel changes throughout the past year. With the Region realignment, Game Warden Drew Beverly, who is assigned to Mitchell County, was moved to another work unit. Cpl. Quinn Fogle was recently promoted to Administrative Sergeant and assigned to the Albany office. Game Warden Greg Castelli transferred to Harris County. G.W. Keith Boatright recently completed the 34th Game Warden Academy in August of 2020 and joined the unit after graduating. G.W. Boatright has been assigned to Seminole County. \nGW KP Boatright with confiscated alligator that was illegally killed while subjects were hunting waterfowl \n \nDuring FY 2020, Corporal Quinn Fogle was selected as the 2019 Game Warden of the Year. Cpl. Steve Thomas was selected as the Region V Investigative Game Warden for an investigation on a night deer hunter that killed 18 deer illegally in three states and five counties in Georgia. When Cpl. Thomas concluded his investigation, two search warrants and 62 arrest warrants were obtained for the subject. Cpl. Thomas was also selected for the Region V NWTF Award. Game Warden Taylor Brown was selected for Region V Torch Award. \n \nSgt. Tony Cox, Cpl. Steve Thomas, G.W. Keith Boatright, and G.W. Taylor Brown spent 403 hours working 64 complaints. Investigations into these complaints lead to the arrest of 23 persons for offenses that included fishing and hunting without permission, night deer hunting, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of meth-amphetamine, Hunting Alligator out of season, and the possession of wildlife without a permit. During the hunting season, they arrested 4 groups of night hunters consisting of 9 individuals, flagged 3 dove fields, cited \n \nSgt. Quinn Fogle and GW Taylor Brown with confiscated \n \n63 \n \nRingnecks illegally taken over bait \n \n hunters on 4 baited dove fields and confiscated 187 Dove. During waterfowl season, 62 violator contacts were made for waterfowl hunting violations. The Game Wardens apprehended hunters on 2 baited duck ponds and 1 after hours roost shoot. They confiscated 69 illegally taken ducks throughout the season. The Game Wardens worked 3 boating incidents, made 16 BUI arrests, and 7 BUI child endangerment charges were made on the combined waters of Lake Seminole, Spring Creek and the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. \n \nAlbany Work Section \nL to R: GW David Jones, Cpl. Eric White, Sgt. Greg Wade, K-9 \"Cuff\" and GW Drew Beverly \n \nThis work unit is comprised of Dougherty, Worth, Mitchell, Colquitt, Brooks and Thomas Counties. Some of the major waterways within these counties are Lake Worth, Kinchafoonee Creek, Muckalee Creek, Ochlocknee River, Flint River, and Little River. This section has 4 Wildlife Management Areas, including the largest in the region being Chickasawhatchee WMA at 19,700 acres. This section provides many opportunities for anglers, hunters, recreationalists, and boaters alike to enjoy the outdoors. \n \nThis section was one of the most heavily impacted areas for COVID-19. These Game Wardens assisted with logistical operations, delivering lifesaving equipment to medical facilities and Health Departments throughout the region. At the apex of the Covid-19 operations, all wardens in this section conducted security operations during the riots/protests in Atlanta. \n \nThis work unit has gone through several changes throughout the year. Sergeant David Ruddell was the field supervisor for most of the year. He recently retired with 30 years of service to the Division. Corporal Greg Wade was promoted to fill the vacant Sergeant position. Sgt. Wade is a 9-year veteran Game Warden with the Law Enforcement Division. Sergeant Wade is a DNR K-9 handler, FTO, SOG Member, a member of the DNR Investigative Unit, and a POST Instructor for Defensive Tactics and Tactical ATV operations. \n \nGame Warden Eric White was recently promoted to Corporal after the retirement of Cpl. Tommy Daughtrey. Corporal White is a 7-year veteran Game Warden assigned to Colquitt County. Corporal White is a member of the Sonar Operation Unit. His activity included 12 subjects for hunting without permission, felony commercial dumping, 8 subjects fishing without permission, 3 subjects hunting deer at night, 8 subjects hunting over bait, one misuse of a firearm while hunting, 3 subjects for hunting alligators without a permit, and one BUI. Cpl. White investigated a hunting incident where 3 subjects were illegally hunting alligators and injured a bystander with an errant shot. Cpl. White and Game Warden Drew Beverly also conducted a search and rescue for a missing boater on the Flint River during hazardous conditions. The officers rescued the subject, who was clinging to a tree after his boat sank. He was transported to a nearby landing and reunited with his family. \n \n64 \n \n Game Warden First Class David Jones is a 4-year veteran and is assigned to Thomas County. Warden Jones is a member of the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) and SOG. His activity included 25 waterfowl related charges which earned him the Region V Rocky Wainwright Award nomination. He assisted the FBI, DEA, USDA, and other agencies with a raid of an illegal gamecock fighting operation in Emmanuel County. David investigated a hunting incident in Worth County where a subject sustained a gunshot wound while hog hunting. He also charged 1 subject for BUI on the Flint River. Warden Jones investigated an incident where a deer was shot on a plantation. This incident resulted in one subject being charged with hunting big game from a public road, hunting from a motor vehicle, and hunting without permission. \nGame Warden Drew Beverly is a 1  year veteran assigned to Mitchell County. He was recently transferred into the work section due to the Region realignment. Some of his activity included 2 subjects hunting without permission, 1 subject hunting while privileges are suspended, and possession of a wild animal without a permit (Wolf). Warden Beverly conducted an extensive investigation regarding a group of subjects illegally selling and trapping wildlife (Snakes and Alligators). His efforts resulted in 3 subjects being charged with 38 wildlife violations, as well as possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. \n \nColumbus Work Section \nL to R: GW Dean Gibson, Cpl. Josh Swain, Sgt. Jeremy Bolen, Cpl. Eric Isom, GW Greg Castelli, and GW Ryan Buice \n \nSergeant Bolen's section consists of Harris, Muscogee, Talbot, Taylor, Chattahoochee, and Marion Counties. The Game Wardens in this work unit patrol Lake Harding, Lake Oliver, and Goat Rock, along with several miles of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. Several state-owned properties are also located within the work section including eight Wildlife Management Areas, one Public Fishing Area, and one State Park. \n \nGame Wardens assigned to this work unit are Cpl. Josh Swain, Cpl. Eric Isom (August 2020), Game Warden Dean Gibson, Game Warden Greg Castelli, and Game Warden Ryan Buice (July 2020). Cpl. Mitch Oliver was assigned here throughout most of the year until his recent promotion to Sergeant in Region 1. \n \n65 \n \n Corporal Josh Swain is assigned to Taylor County and is one of the Region's sonar operators. Cpl. Swain travelled out of the section to assist other sections with searching for drowning victims. From July to September of 2019, Cpl. Swain worked an investigation which initially started as \nsomeone posing as a DNR employee. Josh was able to take the information and execute a search warrant through the phone company to find out the phone number. Cpl. Swain took this information and sent it to the Investigative Unit. They were able to take the information and locate an individual who was believed to be breaking into WMA check stations. The suspect was later arrested and faces numerous felony charges. In November/December of 2019 and January of 2020, Cpl. Swain was out patrolling for waterfowl hunting activity. During the season, Josh checked 64 ponds for bait, apprehended hunters on 2 areas that were found to be baited and located a group that were hunting ducks out of season. \nBaited Duck Pond \nGame Warden Dean Gibson is currently assigned to Talbot County. Game Warden Gibson received the Region IV (Macon) Investigative Game Warden of the Year Award and the Region V Game Warden of the Year Award. In July of 2019 Game Warden Gibson was working an ongoing investigation from a pay box theft on FDR State Park. An individual was using a sticky adhesive on a coat hanger to steal money envelopes from Park pay boxes. Dean was able to identify a potential suspect based on surveillance camera pictures, which Gibson was monitoring frequently. The suspect's identity was discovered by Dean, as well as his place of employment. Dean organized a multi-work section surveillance detail to attempt to catch the thief. His operation plan was effective, and the subject was observed breaking into a pay box. The subject fled the scene, driving more than 100-mph in a 45-mph speed zone. A GSP Trooper ended the pursuit in the city limits of a nearby town. A total of 17 warrants, including 4 felony warrants were taken out on the subject in 2 separate court jurisdictions. \nEvidence of paybox theft \n66 \n \n In November of 2019, Gibson was working the quota deer hunt on the Hilliard tract of Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA in Marion County. A hunter reported seeing an illegal 6-point deer laying in the wood line. Dean diligently followed up on the information, went to the scene and located a shell casing and cigarette butts on the ground. After identifying a suspect, Gibson was able to obtain a confession from the hunter that shot the deer and left it, knowing that it was an illegal deer for the area. The subject was issued a citation for killing an illegal deer on a quality buck hunt. The deer was confiscated, and the meat was donated to a local food shelter. \n \nConfiscated Buck \n \nGW Greg Castelli with confiscated Turkey \n \nGame Warden Greg Castelli is assigned to FDR State Park/Harris County. Castelli joined the work unit in December of 2019. In March of 2020, Sgt. Bolen and Game Warden Castelli were patrolling for turkey hunting activity in Talbot County. A couple of hunters were found to be hunting turkeys in the area. After a brief investigation, it was discovered that one of the hunters did not have any current hunting licenses. The hunter initially lied to the Game Wardens about the area that he was hunting because he was not 100% sure he had permission to be there. A DNR K-9 unit was called to the scene to discover where the hunter was hunting. Evidence was located where the turkey was killed, and all the violations were documented. Game Warden Castelli also checked a baited turkey blind in Marion County. Two hunters were located hunting over the baited area. Both hunters received citations for hunting big game over bait. Between April through June of 2020, Game Warden Castelli made 4 Boating Under the Influence of Alcohol cases on Lake Harding. \n \nWork section Game Wardens responded to a total of 2 drownings and arrested 7 operators for Boating Under the Influence. \n \n67 \n \n Lake Walter F. George Work Section \nL to R: Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Steve Robinson, Sgt. Jim Atchley, GW Thomas Sibley, and GW Bo Townsend \n \nThe work section supervised by Sgt. Jim Atchley includes seven counties along the Georgia/Alabama border and includes Clay, Quitman, Stewart, Webster, Randolph, Terrell and Calhoun Counties. Corporals Scott Carroll and Steve Robinson have been the constant presence in this area for several years. Game Warden Thomas Sibley transferred into the work section in December 2019 and is assigned Calhoun County. Game Warden Bo Townsend recently graduated from the 34th Game Warden Academy and is assigned to Webster County. \n \nIn addition to patrols on 3 State Parks, 4 WMAs and Lake W.F. George for COVID 19 response and assisting with riot details in Atlanta, these officers successfully worked 8 significant investigations. Cpl. Robinson worked a 3-month investigation for illegal dumping by multiple individuals operating sewage pump out businesses. This resulted in individuals being charged with both felony and misdemeanor violations for unlawful dumping of egregious litter, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass. Cpl. Robinson also cited subjects for taking an alligator in Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge and confiscated one 13-foot alligator. \n \nSewage truck evidence photo taken with Spartan Trail Camera \n \nConfiscated Alligator illegally taken in Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge \n \n68 \n \n Cpl. Carroll worked an investigation for a hunting without permission complaint that resulted in an individual being charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, hunting deer without fluorescent orange and failure to record deer harvest. GW Sibley worked an investigation for over the limit on antlered deer and confiscated 2 racks. Along with their patrols, Sergeant Atchley, Corporal's Carroll and Robinson continued to serve as instructors during the Game Warden Academy. GW Sibley attended and successfully completed the FTO training and is currently serving as the Field Training Officer for Bo Townsend. \n69 \n \n Region VI- Brunswick \n \nIn October of 2019, Captain Bob Lynn transferred to the Metter office and Captain Chris Hodge transferred from Macon to the Brunswick office. \n \nCamden/McIntosh/Glynn Work Unit \n \nSgt. David Brady \n \nIn early September 2019, the M/V Golden Ray was departing the Brunswick port when it began \n \nto list to one side. Game Wardens responded and were able to assist with removal of the crew as \n \nthe ship continued to list to its port side. Game Wardens continued to assist over the next few days \n \nuntil all the crew were successfully rescued from the overturned ship. \n \nGame Warden Zach Griffis was nominated as the Region 6 Torch Award Winner. GW Griffis received a complaint of a suspect shooting and killing a Wood Stork on St. Simons Island. Griffis successfully investigated the scene and conducted multiple interviews of the complainant, suspect, and suspects family members. After following all leads, he was able to identify the suspect, get a confession and charge the suspect with Taking/ killing totally protected species. Game Warden Griffis apprehended a suspect in McIntosh County picking oysters illegally, which resulted in the confiscation of 18 bushels of oysters. This was a significant case due to the health risk of illegally taken oysters being introduced into the seafood market. \nGame Warden Corporal David Brady was promoted to the rank of Field Sgt during this period. David replaced veteran Game Warden Sgt Chris Ridley who retired in November of 2019. Sgt. Ridley served the Division for more than 25 years serving in various capacities throughout the state. \n70 \n \n Game Warden Colte Shaske was promoted to the rank of Corporal during this period. Shaske worked several investigations throughout the year and is a member of the Division's Special Operations Group (SOG). \nGame Warden Jay Bright was promoted to the rank of Corporal during this period. Cpl. Bright worked an extensive investigation with a Special Agent from NOAA and seized more than 80 commercial crab traps offshore in McIntosh and Glynn Counties. These traps were seized for Weak Link violations which are in place to protect the endangered Northern Right Whales. \nGame Warden Matt Tsiklistas seized the F/V William Patrick during this period for commercial shrimping in closed waters. This investigation resulted in the seizure of more than 1800 lbs of illegally caught shrimp. \n \nDuring this period the McIntosh, Glynn, Camden Section worked a total of 91 ATV Patrols on St. Simons and Sea Islands resulting in over 600 hours dedicated to enforcing the Governors Executive Order during the COVID 19 pandemic. \n \nDuring September 2019, GW Cassidy Gerstorff, Corporal John Evans and Sgt. David Brady responded to a fatal hunting incident in Glynn County. CIRT Investigators responded to the scene and lead the investigation along with the Glynn DA, GBI and Glynn County PD. The suspect was arrested and charged for the incident. \n \nChatham/Bryan/Liberty Work Unit \n \nSgt. Cindy Miller \n \nIllegal hunting in Pennsylvania  On 12/5/2019 Game Warden First Class Douglas Chambers spoke to a Pennsylvania Game Warden who requested assistance with an unlawfully taken deer, which was taken and processed in Pennsylvania and later transported to Georgia. GWFC Chambers along with Sergeant Phillip Scott contacted the illegal hunting suspect, confiscated the illegally taken deer for donation, and forwarded the information to the Pennsylvania Game Warden for prosecution. \n \nOn 3/1/2020 Game Warden First Class Douglas Chambers, Game Warden Chandler Hamrick, and Corporal Barry Britt were checking for recreational fishing violations offshore at Gray's Reef when a vessel being checked was found to have five red snapper when red snapper season was not open in Federal waters. The case packet was forwarded to NOAA Fisheries Law Enforcement for prosecution which resulted in $750 in fines. \n \n71 \n \n In April 2020, Game Wardens assisted the Bryan County EMA with responding to tornado damage in the Sunbury area. Game Wardens Barry Britt and Doug Chambers assisted with this storm response. \n \nIn May of 2020, Game Wardens Tim Morris, Quintin Reed, and Kiel Toney observed a commercial shrimp trawler fishing near Wassaw Sound. The vessel was charged with using power drawn nets in closed waters. 1605 pounds of shrimp were confiscated. \nIn May of 2020, during the protests in Savannah, Game Wardens were requested to assist with crowd control during several protests throughout the city. Game Wardens utilized ATV's and patrolled the city for several days to assist local officials. \n \nLong/Wayne/Brantley/Pierce Work Unit \n \nSgt. Phillip Scott \n \nOn September 8th, GW Jack Thain and Sgt. Scott were dispatched to the Jones Creek boat ramp in \n \nthe Isle of Wight area of Liberty County. Commercial crabbers had called to report someone \n \nrobbing their crab traps. The Game Wardens found a vessel that had been left at the landing with \n \ncrabs in the bottom of the vessel and in a cooler in the vessel. The owner of the vessel later returned \n \nto retrieve his boat. Game Wardens discovered that the subject had been taking crabs from the \n \ncommercial crab traps in the area. He was charged with taking crabs from the commercial crab \n \ntraps, having over the limit of crabs, having undersized crabs, and for fishing without a license. \n \n72 \n \n On November 9th, Game Warden Judd Sears, was contacted by Game Management Technician Ken Martin about an undersized bear that had been killed. Ken stated a subject had turned in a bear that weighed sixty pounds. GW Sears responded to the area and observed the undersized bear \nat the check station. GW Sears explained to the hunter that the bear was two small and that it had to be a minimum of seventy-five pounds. He was issued a citation for killing undersize bear. \nOn August 27, 2019, Game Warden's Jack Thain and Phillip Scott assist NOAA agents with searching baggage with K9 \"Case\" for illegal wildlife at the Savannah International Airport. \nIn August of 2019, Cpl. John Evans was contacted and notified of a dumping complaint in Glynn County on Paulk's Pasture Wildlife Management Area. Upon inspection of the area, Cpl. Evans \ndiscovered that someone had dumped a large amount of oil, grease, and some sewage in several locations on the WMA. The substance had killed the vegetation, including some trees, in the areas that it was dumped. Cpl. Evans began his investigation and later placed surveillance cameras in the area. On August 15th, Cpl. Evans received a photo from one of the cameras of a blue tanker truck at the area in which previous dumping had taken place. Cpl. Evans was able to locate the vehicle leaving the WMA and made contact with the driver. Upon completion of his investigation, Cpl. Evans arrested the driver and charged him with 5 felonies for Unlawful Dumping. \n73 \n \n On August 22, 2019 Cpl. John Evans and NOAA Agent Ben Hughes were patrolling offshore of sea Island. They found a vessel coming in from offshore and stopped the vessel in Hampton River. After a brief investigation the officers found 29 red snapper that weighed 392 pounds total. Red snapper had been closed since a weekend opening in July of 2019. The case was turned over to NOAA officer Ben Hughes. \n \nWare/Charlton/Atkinson/Clinch Work Unit \n \nSgt. Jason Shipes \n \nSgt. Jason Shipes was promoted to Sgt. over this work unit on June 1, 2020 \n \nOn September 28th, 2019, GWFC Sam Williams received information about a poaching complaint on Thin Blue Line Hunting Club where one member had reportedly taken over the limit of bears, hunted bears at night, hunted bears over bait, and hunted deer with an illegal weapon. GWFC Williams conducted several interviews, executed several search warrants, and obtained physical evidence on each of the reported activities. As a result, GWFC Williams was able to establish overwhelming probable cause, leading to the conviction of the offender. \n \nGame Warden Luke Rabun and Cpl. Tim Hutto received a tip about a 13-point whitetail deer that was possibly shot and killed from a public road in Atkinson County. After a lengthy investigation Game Rabun and Cpl. Hutto were able to gain confessions from both the passenger and the suspect who shot the buck from his vehicle in Willacoochee. On December 6th, two arrest warrants were executed for hunting from a vehicle and hunting big game from a public road. \n \n74 \n \n Sgt. Jason Shipes and GWFC Sam Williams attending an Eagle Scout dedication event in Fargo, GA. The Scouts constructed and installed the life jacket loaner board and the entrance to the Suwanee River. \n \nEchols/Lowndes/Lanier/Cook/Berrien Work Unit \n \nSgt. Patrick Dupree \n \n GWFC Daniel North was promoted to GWFC1 on July 1, 2019.  GW1 Aaron Powell was promoted to GW2 on July 1, 2019.  Cpl. Jon Penuel completed PMP School in November 2019.  Cpl. Jon Penuel received 2020 GW of the Year for Region 6.  GW2 Aaron Powell received 2020 NWTF GW of the Year for Region 6. \n \nIn March 2020, GW2 Aaron Powell initiated an investigation triggered by social media evidence and search warrants into turkey poaching activities of four individuals that resulted in 21 wildlife violations and 4 illegally taken gobblers seized in Echols and Lowndes Counties. \n \nWork Unit officers responded to assist residents and local agencies after tornado damage in Cook County in April 2020. \n \nIn April 2020, 6 subjects were apprehended for hunting deer at night on Grand Bay WMA in Lowndes County. Upon completion of the investigation, 26 charges were filed against the individuals for this incident. \n75 \n \n GW2 Johnny Robinette conducted a career day presentation at Berrien County Schools in March 2020. Students at the school were given the opportunity to discuss a career as a Game Warden with Game Warden Robinette. \nWork Unit officers assisting with the annual NWTF Lowndes Longspurs Jakes event \u0026 hunt in Lowndes County in March 2020. Game Wardens assisted the hunters with live fire shooting training along with accompanying the hunters as they hunted wild turkey. Three turkeys were harvested during these hunts. \nOffshore Joint Enforcement Agreement with NOAA The Joint Enforcement Agreement between Georgia DNR and NOAA office of Law Enforcement called for GADNR enforcement personnel to provide a total of 1,748 hours of marine law enforcement or related work under the agreement. Georgia has 5 Execution Priorities: Endangered Species, Red Snapper, Gray's Reef, Right Whale, and IUU Enforcement. Vessel patrol hours targeted the following areas: 1) shrimp trawlers checking for TED compliance, 2) intercepts of recreational and commercial fishing vessels returning to Georgia seaports from fishing trips in federal waters, 3) offshore patrols to Special Management Zones and Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, 4) concentrations of fishing vessels wherever they occur in the Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent to the State of Georgia, 5) intercepts of recreational fishing vessels for Red Snapper compliance, and 6) Inspection of shipping container at the Georgia Ports. \n76 \n \n Investigative Unit \nThe Investigative Unit (IU) is comprised of two full-time investigators, one detached investigator and one Intelligence Analyst. The IU is responsible for undercover investigations, administration of the Critical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT), the Marine Theft Unit (MTU) as well as investigation assistance to the Special Permit Unit (SPU). The primary function of the Investigative Unit is to provide field Game Wardens with investigative support. The Investigative Unit is able to fulfill this mission with the support of 13 Game Wardens that perform a collateral duty called \"Regional Investigator\". Regional Investigators assist the IU with overt and covert investigations. The IU also serves the field as a central point of contact for information sharing on a statewide level. In 2018, the Investigative Unit significantly expanded its support capabilities with the addition of an Intelligence Analyst - gaining access to multiple intelligence databases and through extensive use of new technologies such as ZetX. This past year, 2 investigators completed the ZetX 40 Hour Advanced Cellular Investigations Training. This technology is requested and used daily not only by Georgia Game Wardens but also by state prosecutors, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and countless police and sheriff's departments. Through this assistance, the Investigative Unit and the Department has strengthened working relationships with other law enforcement agencies throughout the state - benefiting Georgia law enforcement and more importantly, the citizens we serve. \nUndercover Investigations The Investigative Unit is responsible for undercover investigations which are used when traditional enforcement methods would be problematic or unsuccessful. The Regional Investigators are full-time Game Wardens who have received training in undercover operations and equipment and are used throughout the state as needed. \nLast year, the Investigative Unit conducted and managed 544 investigations and calls for assistance from the field and from other agencies (both in and out-of-state). These investigations were comprised of intelligence gathering, buy/bust and both short and long-term investigations. The focus of many of these investigations included the sale or possession of wildlife and wild animals. These violations are difficult to address without the aid of undercover officers. \nCritical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT) Georgia has 16 CIRT investigators assigned throughout the state. CIRT investigates fatality and serious injury boating, hunting and state park incidents. Each investigator receives specialized training on investigating and presenting these cases. Last year, CIRT was activated to investigate 7 boating incidents. These incidents resulted in 5 fatalities. Additionally, CIRT was activated to investigate 3 hunting incidents. These incidents resulted in 2 fatalities. \nMarine Theft Unit (MTU) The primary function of the MTU is to assist law enforcement officers in the field. The MTU conducts computer database and offline searches, hidden hull identification number location assistance and assists with locating and recovering stolen vessels. The MTU also serves as the point of contact for customers as well as court systems related to the abandoned vessel process. Last year, the MTU received 97 abandoned vessel/stolen boat requests from the public and field. MTU also fielded numerous phone calls related to the abandoned vessel process. This past year, the MTU was inundated with reports of stolen vessels. The unit has worked and accomplished in recovering 7 of these stolen vessels. \n77 \n \n Special Permits Unit \nThe Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division Special Permits Unit is responsible for permitting captive wildlife and wild animals in addition to some specialty-take permits such as Scientific Collection Permits. The Unit also coordinates inspections on all permitted wild animal facilities throughout the state. This past year, the Special Permits unit issued over 2,200 permits, collecting approximately $70,000 in generated fees. \nK-9 Unit \nThe Division continues to use K-9s to enhance patrol efforts by Game Wardens and provide assistance to other agencies for man tracking and article searches. The K-9 Unit played a part in numerous cases during the year. The Division also conducted a K-9 Academy which trained 3 new Game Warden K-9s. The K-9s replaced three dogs that recently retired after 10 years of service. Two German Shepherds and a Belgian Malinois were trained by the Division Kennel Master as well as one new K-9 handler. Two of the dogs went to existing members of the K-9 unit. The dogs and their handlers attended twelve consecutive weeks (480 hours) of training at various locations throughout the state and are now certified in Mantracking, Apprehension, Article Recovery and \nWildlife Detection and are currently working in the FY2020 K-9/Handler Teams \nfield. Cpl. Brooks Varnell and K-9 Taz Cpl. Tim Hutto and K-9 Titan GWFC Eric Isom and K-9 Bo Cpl. Greg Wade and K-9 Cuff GWFC Keith Page and K-9 Rio GWFC Jack Thain and K-9 Case GW Nolan Callaway and K-9 Judge \nThe new K-9s, Cuff, Judge, and Bo. \n78 \n \n Training Unit \nGame Warden Academy The 34th Game Warden Academy began on Sunday, January 5th at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. Ten cadets from across the state began training. One cadet voluntarily withdrew after week one, but the nine-remaining continued on and successfully completed Firearms, Emergency Vehicle Operations, Tactical ATV, Georgia and Federal Law, Criminal Procedure and a variety of other Basic Law Enforcement Training courses before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Georgia. \n \nAs the state began to battle the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March, P.O.S.T. suspended all Basic Law Enforcement Training programs throughout the state. Our academy suspended operations on March 16th and the cadets of the 34th Game Warden Academy were sent to their respective Regions to begin a modified field training program and to assist with DNR's statewide response to COVID19. Cadets assisted the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) with the logistical support and helped ship and deliver PPE and other vital supplies throughout the state. \n \nAcademy training operations resumed on Sunday, May 3rd and the cadets went back to work on completing the remaining 13 weeks of scheduled training. Cadets trained for twenty (20) straight days without a day off in order to limit their exposure to outside personnel and to help make up for lost training time. New protocols for social distancing and other COVID-19 safety precautions for academy training were put in place to ensure the safety of our cadets and instructors. The cadets completed the academy and graduated on July 24th. The Basic Game Warden Academy consists of 23 weeks (935 hours) of classroom and performance-based training. \n79 \n \nTraining Staff (L-R)  Joe Talaber, Debra Hollar, Captain Bob Holley \n \n In-Service Training This years in service training schedule was dominated by the challenges posed by COVID-19. However, we have been able to complete annual firearm's re-qualifications, Use of Deadly Force and De-escalation Training, X2 Taser re-certification training and our annual Standardized Field Sobriety and BUI Refresher training. Game Warden's also completed the mandated Governor's Initiative Community Oriented Policing training online this quarter. This year's training consisted of the \"Start the Conversation\" suicide awareness and prevention training and the \"Building Positive Community Relations\" training. The division will be completing our annual fall firearm's in-service in October as well as CPR/First Aid recertification. \n80 \n \n Aviation Unit \nThe LED Aviation Support Unit supports all DNR Divisions and other state agencies utilizing three Bell 407 helicopters and a fixed wing Quest Kodiak 100 airplane. \nThe Aviation Unit flew 821 hours in support of the Division's Game Wardens as they conducted their core mission of protecting the states waterways and woodland areas. This consisted of flying support throughout the hunting season from early fall through early spring. Game Wardens were flown on county surveys looking for baited food plots, duck ponds and illegal shrimping along the Georgia coast. Flight support was also provided for Operation Dry Water, night deer poaching/spotlighting patrols, and searches for missing person and drowning victims across the state. The Wildlife Resource Division (WRD) was provided aviation support during surveys of Bald Eagles, Kestrel, Sandhill Cranes, and waterfowl. Lt Jaye Bridwell flew these same flights along the Georgia coast in addition to surveys for sea turtles, dolphins, and the tagging of manatee. In addition to the WRD surveys, the Aviation Unit flew multiple missions assisting Game Management Section with \nprescribed burns on the State WMA's during the late winter months of January through March 2020. \nAdditionally, the Aviation Unit was actively involved with the Law Enforcement Division's response to COVID-19. The unit was tasked with multiple, high priority Georgia Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security (GEMA) flight requests to transport Personal Protective Equipment, ventilators and life-saving medications to multiple medical centers and hospitals across the State. Also, the Aviation Unit conducted multiple weekend patrol flights during April and May, assisting the Game Warden's enforcement of Governor Brian Kemp's Executive Order on social distancing on State Parks, beaches, and large bodies of water. \nThe TASE 500 camera system equipped Kodiak Quest fixedwing aircraft, with trained camera operators has greatly enhanced the Aviation Unit's capability to support Game Wardens in conducting their primary mission of protecting the states waterways and woodland areas. The Aviation Unit also assisted other State and Federal law enforcement agencies utilizing the Kodiak fixed-wing airplane, most notably the US Department of Agriculture's Operation Sunrise, a four-month investigation into illegal cockfighting in SE Georgia. \nThe Aviation Unit was very fortunate taking delivery of a new 2019 Bell 407GX in December 2019 and trading our two older used aircraft for a used 2012 Bell 407GX. This all Bell 407GX helicopter fleet will increase our flight operation capabilities and increase safety while decreasing training and maintenance costs for the Division. \n81 \n \n Honor Guard \n \nHonor Guard Members \n \n Sgt. Derek Dillard (Commander)  Sgt. David Brady \n \n Capt. Bob Holley (Training unit)  Cpl. Cody Jones \n \n Sgt. Brooks Varnell \n \n Cpl. Ben Payne \n \n Sgt. Travis Sweat \n \n Cpl. Dan Schay \n \n Sgt. Jeremy Bolen \n \n Cpl. Scott Carroll \n \n Cpl. Chase Altman  Cpl. Kiel Toney  GWFC Clint Jarriel  GW Jeffery Turner \n \nHonor Guard Details  August 18, 2019  Presentation of Colors by Game Wardens Sgt. Brooks Varnell, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Chase Altman and GWFC Clint Jarriel at the annual DNR LED Awards Banquet in Savannah, Georgia.  August 19, 2019  Presentation of Colors by Game Wardens Sgt. Brooks Varnell, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Chase Altman and GWFC Clint Jarriel at the POAG Conference in Savannah, Georgia.  August 21, 2019  Funeral detail for retired Game Warden Col. Walt Taylor in Manchester and Woodbury, Georgia. Sgt. Derek Dillard, Sgt. Travis Sweat, Sgt. Brooks Varnell, Cpl. David Brady, Cpl. Scott Carroll and GWFC Clint Jarriel were the honorary pallbearers and folded and presented the flag to his family.  November 7, 2019  Funeral detail for retired Game Warden Sgt. Danny Crook in Buchanan, Georgia. Sgt. Brooks Varnell and Cpl. Cody Jones presented a folded State flag to his family.  January 26 \u002627, 2020  Visitation and funeral details for retired Game Warden Maj. Bill Cline in Waleska, Georgia. Sgt. Derek Dillard, Sgt. Brooks Varnell, Sgt. Travis Sweat, Cpl. Cody Jones and GWFC Dan Shay were honorary pallbearers and folded and presented the State flag to his family.  April 22, 2020  Funeral detail for Game Warden Capt. Chris Hodge's daughter, Rachel in Kingsland and Graham, Georgia. Sgt. David Brady and GWFC Clint Jarriel represented the department's honor guard at the funeral. \n \n82 \n \n Chaplains \nL-R: Charles Houston, Jr., Joel Vinson, Chip Strickland, Daryl Brown, Tac Coley, Marc Crandlemire, Rudy Ross, Brandon Brooks Not Pictured: Gregory Loskoski, John Haney, Randy Lamb \nThe 11 members of the DNR Law Enforcement Division Chaplain Corps currently serve four of the state's seven Regions. The DNR Chaplains are non-sworn volunteers who support the mission of DNR in providing a source of strength to sworn and non-sworn members of the Agency, their families, and the community. The program supports employees in the handling of crisis situations, comforts victims and their families when incidents occur, and provides counseling and other ministerial functions that may be needed. \n83 \n \n Promotions: \nCaptain Mike Burgamy Captain Doyte Chaffin RFC2 Zack Hardy RFC2 Russell Epps Sgt. Brooks Varnell Sgt. Shaymus McNeely Sgt. Brian Adams Sgt. Kevin Joyce GWFC1 Lamar Burns GWFC1 Ken Lalumiere Sgt. Mark Patterson Cpl. Daniel Gray Cpl. Bobby Timmerman Cpl. Rodney Horne Cpl. Patrick Gibbs Cpl. Jordan Crawford Sgt. David Brady Cpl. Zack Hardy GW 2 Jason Warren GW 2 Andrew Crider GW 2 Kyle Faulknor GW 2 Jared Wood GW 2 Savannah Miller GW 2 Levi Thompson GW 2 Erin McDade GW 2 Saxon Campbell GW 2 Evan Nobles GW 2 Austin Biggers GW 2 Stetson Stevens GW 2 Blake Chafin GW 2 Greg Castelli GW 2 Drew Beverly GW 2 Quintin Reed GW 2 Luke Rabun GW 2 Aaron Powell GWFC 1 Charlie Follin GWFC 1 Travis Shrader GWFC 1 Frank Pucci GWFC 1 Kalem Burns GWFC 1 Ryan Locke GWFC 1 Ethan Franklin GWFC 1 Jonathan Segars GWFC 1 Nolan Callaway GWFC 1 Joseph Cowart GWFC 1 Josh Cockrell GWFC 1 Chris Thompson GWFC 1 David Jones GWFC 2 Kevin Goss GWFC 2 David Fisher GWFC 2 Jeremy Reese Cpl. Jay Bright Cpl. David Fisher Sgt. Jason Shipes \n \nRetirements: \nCaptain Scott L. Klingel GW2 Tommy R. Crabb Sgt. Max Boswell Sgt. Tony Fox Sgt. Damon Winters GWFC2 Allen Mills Cpl. Bill Bryson Sgt. Chris Ridley GWFC2 Chad Chambers Sgt. Brent Railey Sgt. Randy Aspinwall \n \nActivity Summary \nHunter Ed Programs I\u0026E Programs Boating Safety Programs Hunter Development \n \nFY2020 121 868 \n136 2 \n \nTotal Programs \nWater SAR Cases Water SAR Hours Vessels Assisted Water Persons Asst. \n \n1,127 \n169 2,641 \n166 512 \n \nLand SAR Cases Land SAR Hours Land Persons Asst. \n \n168 1,543 \n277 \n \nHunting Incidents \n \n27 \n \nBoating Incidents \n \n128 \n \nDrownings \n \n53 \n \nHunting License Checks Fishing License Checks Comm. License Checks Total License Checks \n \n25,441 29,779 \n317 55,537 \n \nBoat Checks \n \n26,461 \n \nBoating Contacts Hunting Contacts Fishing Contacts Trapping Contacts Environmental Contacts Other Contacts \n \n5,703 3,596 3,739 \n44 700 5,079 \n \nTotal Contacts \n \n18,861 \n \n84 \n \n 85 \n \n 86 \n \n "},{"id":"dlg_ggpd_y-ga-bn200-pl3-bs1-bl3-b2019-belec-p-btext","title":"Law Enforcement Division FY 2019 annual report","collection_id":"dlg_ggpd","collection_title":"Georgia Government Publications","dcterms_contributor":null,"dcterms_spatial":["United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018"],"dcterms_creator":["Georgia. Department of Natural Resources. Law Enforcement Division"],"dc_date":["2019"],"dcterms_description":["Description based on: FY 2013 (online surrogate); title from PDF cover (Georgia Government Publications database, viewed November 12, 2015).","Latest issue consulted: FY 2015."],"dc_format":["application/pdf"],"dcterms_identifier":null,"dcterms_language":["eng"],"dcterms_publisher":["Social Circle, Ga. : Georgia. Department of Natural Resources. Law Enforcement Division"],"dc_relation":null,"dc_right":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dcterms_is_part_of":null,"dcterms_subject":["Georgia. Department of Natural Resources. Law Enforcement Division--Periodicals","Wildlife management--Law and legislation--Georgia--Periodicals","Recreation areas--Georgia--Periodicals"],"dcterms_title":["Law Enforcement Division FY 2019 annual report"],"dcterms_type":["Text"],"dcterms_provenance":["University of Georgia. Map and Government Information Library"],"edm_is_shown_by":["https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:dlg_ggpd_y-ga-bn200-pl3-bs1-bl3-b2019-belec-p-btext"],"edm_is_shown_at":["https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:dlg_ggpd_y-ga-bn200-pl3-bs1-bl3-b2019-belec-p-btext"],"dcterms_temporal":null,"dcterms_rights_holder":null,"dcterms_bibliographic_citation":null,"dlg_local_right":null,"dcterms_medium":["annual reports"],"dcterms_extent":null,"dlg_subject_personal":null,"iiif_manifest_url_ss":null,"dcterms_subject_fast":null,"fulltext":"Commissioner Mark Williams \n \nDirector Colonel Thomas \nBarnard \n \n1 \n \n Headquarters \nColonel Thomas Barnard, Director \n \nLt. Colonel Johnny Johnson, Assistant Director \n \nMajor Stephen Adams \n \nMajor Mike England \n \n2 \n \n Headquarters Support Staff \n \nLt. Wayne Hubbard \n \nLt. Wanda Roberts \n \nLt. Judd Smith \n \nKim Cato \n \nJen Hammonds \n \nJamie Hawkins \n \nMark McKinnon \n \nAshley Moon \n \nTaye Pierce \n \nSharon Sims \n \nDebbie Stephens \n3 \n \nShannon Witcher \n \n The Vision of the Law Enforcement Division is to ensure that Georgia's natural resources will be conserved for our present and future generations. The Mission of the Law Enforcement Division is to conserve our natural resources and to protect the people we serve. We maintain public support through fair and vigorous law enforcement, quality education, and community involvement. We commit ourselves to our Vision and Mission by practicing our core beliefs, which are trust, fairness and professionalism. \nHeadquarters \nThe Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division, currently has 212 POST-certified Game Wardens with statewide authority and full arrest powers and 28 non-sworn staff members. The primary duties of these Game Wardens are enforcement of all laws and regulations pertaining to hunting, fishing, commercial fishing, environmental violations, and recreational boating, as well as to provide public safety on all our DNR-controlled properties. The Law Enforcement Division operates with a straight-line chain of command. It consists of the Colonel, Lt. Colonel, two Majors, nine Captains (7 Region Supervisors, 1 Training Director, 1 Pilot), seven Lieutenants (database management, special permits/captive wildlife and wild animals, boating law administrator/administrative support, professional standards, investigations, 2 pilots), and 194 field Game Wardens (Sergeants, Corporals, Game Wardens First Class, and Game Wardens). \n4 \n \n Vehicles \u0026 Equipment Throughout the year, the Law Enforcement Division acquired some new vehicles and equipment, utilizing funding from various sources. Vehicles obtained included two new enclosed trailers for statewide disaster response, 14 4x4 patrol vehicles, and seven patrol boats. New equipment included 28 sets of night vision goggles, 73 TASERs, seven boat motors, four FLIR camera systems for boats, body armor for the new cadets, and LTE Southern Lincs for all sworn personnel. \nRanger Hotline The Ranger Hotline program, which provides a way for citizens to report anonymously potentially illegal wildlife and other conservation law violations, continues to be successful. If the information leads to an arrest, the tipster receives a cash reward funded by the Georgia Natural Resource Foundation, whose mission is to protect wildlife by increasing public support for wildlife law enforcement. Last year, eight tips were received by email for various violations. \nOTHER SPECIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUES \nHurricane Michael In October of 2018, Game Wardens responded to Hurricane Michael in South Georgia and provided first responder operations, debris clearing, damage assessment, search and rescue and security roles. Due to the path of the storm, Game Wardens in all areas of the state were called into action and the Division logged 6,809 man-hours during the event. \nJEA Patrols The Joint Agreement #17 between Georgia DNR and NOAA Office of Law Enforcement called for Georgia DNR enforcement personnel to provide a total of 1,717 hours of marine law enforcement or related work under the agreement. Georgia has five Execution Priorities. Execution Priority 1 was the Endangered Species Act. There were 383-man hours and 144 hours of at-sea vessel patrol hours dedicated to this priority, along with 36 hours of aircraft flight hours and 36 hours of aircraft personnel hours. These patrols were checking shrimp trawlers for TED and net compliance. Execution Priority 2 was dedicated to Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. There were 445-man hours and 165 hours of at-sea vessel patrols dedicated to priority 2. These patrols were to check Red Snapper compliance and any other violation dealing with Snapper/Grouper and HMS species. Execution Priority 3 was the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. There were 240-man hours and 80 hours of at-sea vessel patrols dedicated to Priority 3. Execution Priority 4 was the Lacey Act/International (IUU). There were 28 personnel hours dedicated to IUU enforcement. These patrols were assisting NOAA Enforcement Officers with the inspection of containers at the Georgia Ports. Execution Priority 5 was Marine Mammal Protection Act. There were 120-man hours and 40 at-sea vessel hours dedicated to Marine Mammal Protection. These patrols were during the months of November through March and were specifically targeting Right Whale enforcement. \n5 \n \n Public Affairs Media Relations and Public Outreach The Division conducted media news conferences and ride-alongs with Game Wardens for the start of the boating and hunting seasons, \"Operation Dry Water,\" and the July 4th Holiday weekend to promote safe boating and swimming safety and to educate citizens on boating laws and how they are applied. Prior to boating season, in late May, LED partnered with the Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) and the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) to encourage safety on the waterways and highways throughout the summer. The 2019 campaign theme was \"Summer Safety Tour.\" News releases, I \u0026 E presentations and speeches to various civic groups, and regular news media interviews and interaction were utilized throughout the year to disseminate information to the public. \nSPLASH The Division continued moving forward with the multi-agency water safety initiative, SPLASH. Along with a number of federal, state, and private partners, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Georgia Department of Public Health and Georgia Power, the aggressive antidrowning campaign encourages citizens to follow these tips when enjoying beaches, pools, lakes, rivers and other bodies of water. The partners meet every 4-6 weeks to share promotional ideas and discuss implementation. Ten meetings have been held so far. SPLASH is an acronym used to encourage safety around the water. \n Supervision  Designate an adult to watch children at all times. Do not assume someone else is watching. \n Prevention  Wear personal flotation devices (PFD or life jacket), install fencing around pools, and use drain covers in hot tubs and pools. \n Life Jackets/Look before you leap Always wear a life jacket and never jump into water without knowing how deep it is and what is below the surface. \n Arm's Length  Adults should be arm's length to children in water, and life jackets and throwable flotation devices should be nearby at all times. \n Swim Lessons  Knowing how to swim greatly reduces the chance of drowning.  Have a Water Safety Plan  Know what to do during an emergency. \nDuring the year, the campaign provided public service announcements to local radio stations, increased social media messaging, stenciled painted safety messages on boat ramps and placed \"Wear It Georgia\" signs at numerous facilities on the state's waterways. Currently, the Department is continuing the process of adding 250 life jacket loaner boards at public boat ramps and state parks statewide, with these locations now included on the Georgia Outdoors app. \nSocial Media LED manages a Facebook page that currently has nearly 60,000 page \"Likes\" (people who regularly view the page). Many of LED's Facebook posts have a \"Reach\" (number of people who may see the post through their friends who \"Like\" the page) that exceeds 40,000, and occasionally, some are above 500,000. The Division also has a Twitter account that is linked to Facebook, which currently has nearly 1,350 followers, a YouTube Channel with multiple safety-related videos, and an Instagram account over 5,800 followers. \n6 \n \n Game Warden Awards Banquet In August 2019, the LED's Command Staff was joined by the Georgia DNR Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and Board Members at the Sixth Annual Game Warden Awards Banquet in Savannah. The event highlighted the outstanding efforts of Game Wardens from across the state who had received a number of awards throughout the year. At the end of the evening, Cpl. Quinn Fogle from the southwest Georgia Region was named as the Division's 2019 Game Warden of the Year. \n2018 Game Warden of the Year Cpl. Cody Jones pins the one-of-a-kind badge on the 2019 winner, Cpl. Quinn Fogle. \n2019 Game Warden of the Year, Cpl. Quinn Fogle receives his award. \n7 \n \n Statewide Awards \nGame Warden of the Year \nCorporal Quinn Fogle Corporal Quinn Fogle has earned the respect of the public and his peers, through teamwork and his steadfast dedication to the Division's mission. Cpl. Fogle has been with DNR Law Enforcement since 2013. He is known to be fair and energetic in his application of the law and he strives to adopt problems that others would often bypass. This past year, he documented 153 citations, 128 warnings, and 141 violation assists, exceeding the region average by over 300%. His violator activity is 197 contacts above average and entails over 15% of the Region's work load. Some examples of his violator contacts include 91 arrest warrants issued to 10 suspects, 10 search warrants, one HUI, with one HUI assist, and nine VGCSA arrests. Quinn answered 42 citizen complaints and dedicated over 300 hours toward seven \ninvestigations. Cpl. Fogle is very involved in his community and he always looks for the opportunity to educate the public on a variety of topics. This year, he conducted 10 formal I\u0026E programs. He taught firearms safety at the Bradley Youth Deer Hunt and was the guest speaker for the Lions Club and the Rotary Club, where he discussed the functions of the DNR Law Enforcement Division. Cpl. Fogle was selected to represent DNR LED on the Commissioner's Millennial Recruitment and Retention Committee, and he served on the Region V Game Warden Advisory Committee member. He is a member of the Special Operations Group, a Field Training Officer, and he was one of the first officers to volunteer for TASER Training. \nJames R. Darnell Award \nGame Warden First Class Patrick Gibbs  Region VI Game Warden First Class Patrick Gibbs is a unique Game Warden within the Law Enforcement Division and he understands, utilizes, and appreciates the old school, dirt road Game Warden ideology he learned from those before him. GWFC Gibbs understands the importance of building relationships and seeks out opportunities to serve his community. Last year, Patrick conducted seven I\u0026E programs and teamed up with the local school's C.H.A.M.P.S. program where he taught boating safety to 360 school children. His enforcement stats are solid. During this past year, he dedicated 866 hours to wildlife enforcement, 249 hours to fishing enforcement, and 298 hours to boating enforcement. He documented 223 hunting license checks with 80 assists, 293 fishing license checks with 75 assists and conducted 125 vessel \ninspections with 45 assists. In addition, Patrick patrolled state-owned properties on 98 separate occasions. As a result of these efforts, he issued 106 citations and 84 written warnings. He was directly responsible for apprehending six of his section's 17 groups of night deer hunters resulting in 39 individuals being charged with over 100 violations. He led the region in total contacts and most categories, including BUIs, Hunting Turkey Over Bait, groups of night deer hunters caught, waterfowl violations, and hunting waterfowl after hours .He is a P.O.S.T instructor and currently assists with teaching Boat EVOC, SFST, and hunting laws and, for his efforts, he was recognized as the Instructor of the Year by the 32nd and 33rd Game Warden Academy classes. \n8 \n \n Game Warden of the Year Nominees \n \nRegion I- Cpl. Bart Hendrix Region II- Cpl. Tim Vickery Region III- GWFC Dan Schay Region IV- GWFC David Fisher \n \nRegion V- Cpl. Quinn Fogle Region VI- GWFC Patrick Gibbs Region VII- Cpl. Barry Britt \n \nSupervisor of the Year \nCaptain Scott Klingel  Region VI \nCaptain Scott Klingel, Region VI, is the recipient of the 2018 Supervisor of the Year Award. He is a 29-year veteran of DNR Law Enforcement and has served as Captain since 2002. His dedication to the Department, the Game Wardens, and the community are evident in his servant-style leadership, recognized by the entire region. Captain Klingel currently supervises the largest geographic region of the state (nearly 25% of the state's land mass), with 32 rural counties in southeast Georgia. While cooperating with a multitude of county entities, Scott also maintains positive working relationships with two adjacent state natural resource agencies. His leadership style focuses on meeting the Division's core mission and effectively growing his employees. Each and every decision is carefully weighed to prevent duplicative efforts, unnecessary administrative burden, and maximization of employee efforts, which fosters efficiency and high morale. Captain Klingel is a POST Instructor and teaches Critical Incident Management throughout the state. Within the region, he plays a pivotal role in major events including forest fires, hurricanes, and floods. Scott's word is his bond. He says what he is going to do and follows through. He can be trusted to do what is in the best interest of the mission and his employees. He garners respect from his employees not through rank, but by his actions. This type of respect is the greatest accomplishment possible within the law enforcement profession. Congratulations to Captain Scott Klingel, the 2018 Supervisor of the Year. \nNWTF Officer of the Year \nCorporal Derrell Worth  Region III \nCorporal Derrell Worth is the 2018 National Wild Turkey Federation Officer of the Year. He is a 20-year veteran of DNR Law Enforcement, serving in Greene County his entire career. Cpl. Worth is solid, all-around Game Warden, but he especially excels at catching violators who hunt turkey over bait. Last year, he logged 206 hours on turkey hunting patrols, resulting in nine Hunting Big Game over Bait (Turkey) contacts, one Unlawful Enticement contact, and one charge of Taking Totally Protected Wildlife (Hen Turkey). He also patrolled the WMAs in his area 23 times. On April 1, 2017, Derrell was shot by a turkey hunter who mistook him for game. Support for him poured in, evidence of his investment in his community. Additionally, Cpl. Worth has great investigative skills and leaves no stone unturned when it comes to investigating wildlife violations. His most notable case this past season involved a hunter who had killed a hen turkey over bait and discarded the carcass several miles away. Derrell successfully gathered the necessary evidence to successfully prosecute the violator. Congratulations to Corporal Derrell Worth, the 2018 National Wild Turkey Federation Officer of the Year. \n \n9 \n \n Investigative Game Warden of the Year \nCorporal Quinn Fogle - Region V Corporal Quinn Fogle is the 2018 Investigative Game Warden of the Year. Cpl. Fogle consistently displays the problem adoption mind-set of the Division, which has a profound and positive impact in his community. During the past year, Quinn successfully conducted several wildlife investigations utilizing social media and \"old fashioned\" Game Warden skills. The most notable began when he received a picture of a freshly killed buck that was posted on Snapchat and Instagram. The posts provided enough information for Quinn to request the suspect's Snapchat and Instagram data. After compiling the information and interviewing the suspect, Cpl. Fogle was armed with a growing list of illegal \nactivities and suspects. He obtained search warrants for the main suspect's Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat accounts, residence, and Verizon data for three cell phones. The information gathered comprised of 3,527 pages from the three social media accounts and 3,833 pages from Verizon. Thirteen suspects were identified and interviewed and, when faced with the overwhelming evidence, each one confessed. Eighty-three arrest warrants were issued for 10 suspects resulting in 89 charges for wildlife violations. The charges included multiple counts of hunting deer at night, hunting from a public road, hunting from a motor vehicle, license violations, hunting alligators out of season, failure to record and report a harvest, and the seizure of two deer. This case is a great example of the initiative and determination that Quinn puts forth in all his activities. Congratulations to Corporal Quinn Fogle, the 2018 Investigative Game Warden of the Year. \nGeorgia Boating Officer of the Year \nCorporal Quinn Fogle  Region V Corporal Quinn Fogle is the 2018 Georgia Boating Officer of the Year. Cpl. Fogle is assigned to \nEarly County in Region V and routinely works Lake Seminole and Lake Walter F. George. He always does an excellent job of protecting the State's natural resources and the boating public while patrolling the Georgia's waterways. Last year, he detected and arrested 13 vessel operators for BUI and assisted with 12 other BUI arrests. His arrests/assists accounted for over 80% of Region V's BUI incidents for the year. He also logged 200 hours during 43 boating safety patrols. To help in providing safety information to the community, he recorded PSA's at 10 different radio stations in the area, promoting the SPLASH Water Safety Initiative, kill switch usage, and boating safety for waterfowl hunters. During the past year, Quinn also investigated two boat incidents and documented 23 citations and 52 warnings for boating safety violations. In his short tenure, Cpl. Fogle has earned the respect of the public and his peers, through teamwork and his steadfast dedication to the mission at hand. Congratulations to Corporal Quinn Fogle, the 2018 Georgia Boating Officer of the Year. \n10 \n \n The Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award \nGame Warden First Class Patrick Gibbs  Region VI Game Warden First Class Patrick Gibbs has been selected to receive the 2019 Rocky Wainwright \nWaterfowl Award. GWFC Gibbs' proactive approach with the public and firm but fair enforcement efforts have proven results in protecting this invaluable resource and in promoting safe, responsible hunter behavior. Patrick began his career in 2013 and is assigned to Evans County. His seven-county work unit has a number of waterfowl hunting opportunities, including 222 total miles on the Altamaha, Canoochee Oconee, Ocmulgee, and Ohoopee rivers, and also the Evans County PFA, which has three ponds totaling 122 acres. Additionally, his work area includes numerous oxbow lakes on Bullard Creek and Big Hammock WMA's. Educating the public and gaining community support have been key factors in Patrick's success. Last year, he presented multiple I\u0026E programs to local civic groups, wildlife organizations, and schools. His law enforcement efforts were outstanding this past waterfowl season. He worked over 100 hours and logged nearly 2,000 miles for waterfowl hunting enforcement. He encountered 57 separate waterfowl hunters, checked 127 licenses, and made 23 contacts and 16 assists, including 18 hunting after hours, five without a federal duck stamp, four without a license, four without a Georgia waterfowl license, and three hunting with illegal ammo (lead). He also worked five separate special waterfowl hunting details and utilized LED's Aviation Unit to conduct a waterfowl flight to locate baited areas. Congratulations to Game Warden First Class Patrick Gibbs, the 2019 Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award recipient. \nHunter Education Instructor of the Year \nGame Warden Josh Cockrell  Region IV Game Warden Josh Cockrell is the 2019 Hunter Education Game Warden Instructor of the Year. Assigned to Wilkinson County, GW Cockrell has done an outstanding job with Hunter Education/Development this past year. While only having been employed with DNR for 2  years, he has already proven his dedication to Hunter Education and to the promotion of shooting sports. Josh was involved with several events that were the highlights of his Hunter Education efforts. For the last 22 years, DNR Law Enforcement has been involved in the annual Wilkinson County Quail Hunt for Kids. The event targets new hunters and allows them to hunt quail and compete in a sporting clays \ncompetition. GW Cockrell recruited new kids to attend the event, solicited donations for prizes from local businesses, and worked the event. He also set up the event (archery, clay launchers) and coordinated the Game Warden and volunteer help. GW Cockrell assisted at Lake Oconee with the annual squirrel hunt at the Georgia Power campground, where new hunters are utilized to control the squirrel population. He assisted with the Buckarama in Perry and the annual state FFA convention in Macon, answering questions from visitors about a host of topics, including Hunter Education. GW Cockrell coordinates Hunter Education in Wilkinson, Jones, and Twiggs counties and distributes CDROM's to libraries and to the public. Congratulations to Game Warden Josh Cockrell, the 2019 Hunter Education Game Warden Instructor of the Year. \n11 \n \n The Torch Award \nGame Warden Ryan Locke  Region II Each year, the Torch Award is presented by the Division to encourage the professional development of a recently appointed Game Warden. Nominees must not have worked as a wildlife enforcement officer for more than five years, have demonstrated a genuine desire to protect the resources and develop professionally, and demonstrate exceptional ability and initiative in the performance of his or her duties, including public education. \nGame Warden Ryan Locke is the 2019 Torch Award recipient. GW Locke is assigned to Lake Lanier/Hall County and he has proven this year that he is a well-rounded Game Warden. Ryan knew he wanted to be a Game Warden in the 6th grade when the local warden held an I\u0026E at his school. He pursued his dream and started his career with DNR in 2017. Last year, GW Locke wrote a total of 248 citations and 216 warnings. He investigated 56 complaints and had two assists. During boating season, he logged 59 patrols in 266.5 hours and wrote 130 citations and 88 warnings. GW Locke also made 17 BUI cases, the most in the Region. Additionally, he investigated five boating incidents, one drowning, conducted nine water SARs and assisted with 10 more. Ryan's hunting and fishing enforcement numbers are equally impressive. He conducted 143 hunting license checks and made 141 hunting contacts. He conducted an astounding 310 fishing license checks with 21 assists. His education and public outreach efforts included 35 I\u0026E programs and four Hunter Ed/Development programs. Due to his efforts last year and his outstanding rapport with the community, he was awarded the \"2018 John W. Jacobs Award\" for excellence in law enforcement by the Gainesville/Hall County Kiwanis Club. Congratulations to Game Warden Ryan Locke, winner of the 2019 Torch Award. \nAdministrative Professional of the Year \nJanette, Senior, Administrative Asst. III  Region VII Janette Senior is the Division's 2019 Administrative Professional of the Year. Janette has been employed with the Law Enforcement Division for eight years and she daily exemplifies the \nDivision's mission and core values. She clearly recognizes her role in and sets goals to make sure she exceeds them. Janette maintains the Region's state budget and a Joint Enforcement Agreement (JEA) budget, maintaining the mountain of paperwork that goes with them. She also monitors the license sales, making sure all monies are accounted for, with no shortcomings. Recently, Janette took on an additional role as the license technician and part-time secretary and, while serving in this role, she identified several areas needing improvement and proposed changes. Upon approval from LED Headquarters and Cash Management in Atlanta, her changes resulted in reduced paperwork and a simpler reporting of license sales. Janette always has a smile on her face and greets each customer warmly and professionally. She always goes out of her way to make a positive impact on the people she serves and the Law Enforcement Division. Congratulations to Janette Senior, the 2019 Administrative Professional of the Year. \n12 \n \n Previous Game Wardens of the Year \n \nWilliam Powell W.D. Hill, Jr. Michael Bone William Vickers Dan Parrish Ronald Bailey Ralph Sheppard Roger D. Garrison James McDaniel Doug Lewis Terry West W. Howard Hensley, Jr. Dennis Aderholt Bill Bunch Arvid Edwards Mitchell H. Yeargin Jeff Weaver Mike Commander Phillip Scott Stanley Elrod \n \n1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 \n \nRick Sellars David Ruddell Derek Dillard Mike Barr Harry E. Akins Eric Brown John Murphy Shane Sartor Mike Binion Brian Hobbins Cindy Miller Timothy Butler Jason Roberson David Webb Greg Wade Casey Jones Eddie Tompkins Brian Adams Cody Jones \n \n2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 \n \n13 \n \n Region I- Calhoun (Northwest) \nFront Row  L-R: AOC Joyce Holland, GW Tyler Lewis, GW Steven Martinez, Sgt. Brooks Varnell (K-9), GW Ryan Shorter, GW Travis Shrader, GWFC Zack Hardy, GW Carla Gann, Cpl. Chad Cox, Sgt. James Keener, GW Frank Pucci, Sgt. Eric Brown, GW Jason Warren, GWFC Mark Moyer, Capt. Mike Burgamy Back Row  L-R: Secretary Sherry Rollins, Sgt. Brian Keener, GW Phillip Stout, GW Ryan Thomas, GA Garrett Pownall, Cpl. Byron Young, GWFC Roger McConkey, GWFC Daniel Gray, GW Brock Hoyt, Cpl. Cody Jones, Cpl. Casey Jones, Cpl. Ben Cunningham, GWFC Russell Epps, GW Kyle Faulknor, Cpl. Shawn Elmore, GW Kalem Burns Not Pictured: Sgt. Mike Barr, Cpl. Bart Hendrix, \u0026 K-9 Taz \nCurrently, Region I is comprised of 20 Northwest Georgia Counties and the Metro Atlanta area. Within these counties, we have 3 major impoundments, 6 major rivers, 7 State Parks, 18 Wildlife Management Areas (249,000 acres) 173,000 acres of US Forest Service lands, and 2,440 miles of trout streams. Currently, 28 LED Game Wardens provide coverage for the Region. Promotions and Personnel Changes Region I welcomed two new Game Wardens: \n1. Jason Warren, assigned to Rocky Mountain PFA 2. Kyle Faulknor, assigned to Dade County Promotions: Game Warden Carla Gann was promoted to Game Warden 2 Game Warden Tyler Lewis was promoted to Game Warden 2 Game Warden Garrett Pownall was promoted to Game Warden 2 Game Warden Will Smith was promoted to Game Warden 2 Game Warden Ryan Shorter was promoted to Game Warden 2 Game Warden Caleb Thomas was promoted to Game Warden 2 \n14 \n \n Personnel Awards Corporal Cody Jones was selected as the 2018 Game Warden of the Year. He also received the Shakir Award from Safari Club International. Corporal Barton Hendrix received the Region I Boating Safety Officer of the Year Award Corporal Shawn Elmore received the Region I Investigative Game Warden of the Year Award \nOperational \nIn November 2019, Game Warden Zack Hardy, Cadet Tyler Lewis, and Corporal Byron Young received a complaint of road deer hunting in rural Bartow County. They worked the area with a deer decoy on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. Shortly after Cadet Lewis got the decoy positioned in the field, a vehicle stopped in the roadway, the driver rolled down his window, and shot at the decoy. Corporal Young attempted to stop the vehicle and the driver struck the DNR truck while trying to get away. He drove past Corporal Young and Game Warden Hardy began pursuit. The pursuit lasted approximately fifteen minutes and resulted in the suspect being stopped by the Georgia State Patrol who utilized the PITT maneuver. The suspect, who was a life-long poacher with an extensive record, was taken into custody and was charged with numerous traffic violations as well as hunting from a public road, hunting from a vehicle, obstruction, fleeing and attempting to elude, possession of marijuana, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was sentenced to 10 years, serve 4 with the remainder on probation, and $1,500.00 restitution to DNR. \nGW Mark Puig and Sgt. Roberson received a complaint of hunting without permission in an area that a well-known violator had been known to frequent. They located three people hunting without permission. The main violator was in possession of methamphetamine and other narcotics. A search warrant was obtained and served on his residence where more narcotics were located. This arrest was the third time that Sgt. Roberson's unit had arrested this same subject in a 12-month period. Each time resulted in numerous hunting charges as well as felony drug charges and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. This same suspect has since been arrested by the FBI as a part of a multi-agency narcotics investigation. \n15 \n \n In December 2018, CPL Bart Hendrix received several complaints of various hunting violations involving three different investigations in Cherokee County. Two investigation were about illegal deer hunting in Northwest Cherokee County and the other involved a poisoning case in Ball Ground. CPL Hendrix was assisted in each of the investigations by every member of his work section in some capacity or another. Work section members worked surveillance looking for suspects at known locations, worked and apprehended two night hunting suspects in the act of night hunting, and reviewed and sorted social media data, warrants, and evidence collection and processing. The poisoning case involved the DNR investigative unit, Cherokee County Fire/EMS, and the USFWS. Several federal charges are pending against the suspect as well as multiple state violations. The other two investigations involved 15 different suspects and over 90 hunting violations were documented. Several deer antlers were confiscated during the investigation as were felony drugs. The cases are currently under review for prosecution. \nThe Allatoona work section had an amazing year of conservation law enforcement. In addition to numerous great hunting cases, they made 44 arrests this past season for Boating Under the Influence on Allatoona Lake, with at least one or more cases made on each day of the week. \nThe \"Mountain Work Section\" was very busy throughout the year with numerous investigations involving deer, bear, turkey, trout, and other wildlife. Wardens Casey Jones, Cody Jones, and James Keener assisted with the GW Academy during firearms, EVOC, ATV operation, active shooter, water survival, and aviation training. Officers also performed and assisted with an array of SAR rescues, extracting victims with a wide range of injuries out of very remote locations in the section. This included carrying out a victim with a broken leg, transporting a victim out using an ATV, an aviation long line rescue of a victim with a broken femur, and the first aviation rappel rescue of a victim. Many additional rescues were conducted in Whitfield, Murray, Gilmer, and Fannin Counties. Wardens Casey Jones, J. Keener, M. Moyer, T. Shrader, and K. Burns were all deployed to Southwest Georgia Counties after the hurricane in October 2018. \n16 \n \n Sergeant Mike Barr's work unit worked with Parks to get this new Life Jacket Loaner Station installed at Rocky Mountain PFA. The section maintains and stocks the station. \nCpl. Cody Jones was selected as the 2018 Game Warden of the Year and he also received the Shakir Award from Safari Club International in February 2019. He assisted the GBI and Texas Rangers on three occasions during the year with a murder cold case, TWRA and Indiana DNR with wildlife investigations from those states. Cpl. Jones and Cadet Ryan Thomas caught 6 sets of night hunters in Fannin County throughout hunting season. They were responsible for confiscations of deer, turkey, protected songbirds, trout, convicted felon firearms, and felony drugs on multiple occasions. Cpl. Casey Jones assisted with several drowning recoveries utilizing the sector scan, tow fish sonar, and the ROV. Game Wardens Shrader, Burns, and Moyer also completed several interesting investigations dealing with night deer hunters, convicted felons, hunting without permission, and bear and turkey over bait. \n17 \n \n In November and December GWFC Daniel Gray and Game Warden Ryan Shorter assisted Kansas DNR in an investigation. One individual had illegally killed a deer in Kansas and brought it back to Georgia. The investigation resulted in Georgia Game Wardens confiscating the rack of a 140in class buck. The individual was cited for bringing cervid carcass or parts from a CWD positive state and received multiple charges from Kansas DNR. \nThroughout deer season Cpl. Chad Cox, Cpl. Brooks Varnell, GWFC Daniel Gray, and Game Wardens Ryan Shorter and Garrett Pownall, utilized game cameras on an affidavit property in Douglas County. This resulted in one confiscation of an 8-point buck and six individuals caught with charges ranging from hunting without permission, hunting over bait, hunting without a license, and hunting without orange. \nCpl. Brooks Varnell, Cpl. Chad Cox and GWFC Daniel Gray was at the JL Lester Youth Hunt when this lucky hunter got a nice WMA buck. \n18 \n \n Cpl. Chad Cox organized the annual Polk County Kid's Fishing Rodeo. This year's event had 410 kids under the age of 16 registered to fish. Free food, ice cream, drinks, prizes and tshirts are available to everyone thanks to local sponsors. \nIn September 2018, Corporal Shawn Elmore received information a convicted felon was hunting deer at night and without permission throughout eastern Gordon County. In December 2018, CPL Elmore and Game Warden First Class Roger McConkey were working a without permission complaint and located the suspect hunting without permission. An investigation ensued and several search warrants were obtained. The investigation revealed the subject had killed 7 bucks in 2018, both at night and without permission with two different stolen firearms. It also was revealed he killed several turkeys on local WMAs with a shotgun as a convicted felon. This poacher was hunting illegally in five northwest Georgia counties. Charges were filed for multiple counts of hunting deer at night, hunting from a motor vehicle, hunting from a public road, hunting without permission, taking over the season bag limit, recording and reporting requirements, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As of July 2019, he has plead guilty in Gordon County and still has pending cases in several other counties. \n19 \n \n Game Wardens Corporal Ben Cunningham and Game Warden Carla Gann were nominated in May 2019 for the Peace Officers Association of Georgia (P.O.A.G.) Valor award by Sergeant Mike Barr for their valent rescue response on the Etowah and Coosa Rivers in June 2018. Both officers assisted in over 100 rescues from water of which ten were critical. The event was sponsored by the Coosa River Basin Initiative (CRBI) and was held after weeks of rain had caused the rivers to exceed the water flow at three times the normal flow rate. Hundreds of people entered the water in attempt to break a world record of the largest number of connected people floating a river. The Game Wardens assisted with medical issues, intoxicated rafters, poor swimmers, people who had lost their life jackets, people near drowning, and people swept downstream beyond their take-out point. P.O.A.G will present the award during a special event. \nCorporal Ben Cunningham for recognized for his conservation enforcement by the Tennessee Valley Safari Club International (SCI) during an annual banquet in Chattanooga, Tennessee. \n(left to right) Sergeant Mike Barr, Corporal Ben Cunningham, Georgia Officer of the Year, and wife Starr, Corporal Shawn Elmore and wife Kellie, and Game Warden Carla Gann at the Tennessee Valley Chapter of the SCI Banquet in Chattanooga, Tennessee. \nGeorgia Game Wardens set up a recruiting and information center at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia. Over 500,000 people attended the fair. \n20 \n \n Sergeant (SGT.) Mike Barr was detached to Headquarters during much of 2018 for the purpose of recruiting the next generation of Game Wardens. SGT. Barr travelled throughout Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina delivering the Law Enforcement Division message. He worked with DNR Human Resource personnel, teamed up with the Georgia State Patrol recruiters, and direct with higher education facilities and special events. He travelled to universities, colleges, technical schools, career fairs and large gatherings such as the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia. SGT. Barr also assisted several Regions with media stories across the State to help in looking for top regional candidates. \n21 \n \n Region II- Gainesville (Northeast) \nFront Row L-R: AAIII Brenda Tanner, Secretary Tasha Lamb, PT Secretary Mckayla Justus, Cpl. Craig Fulghum, GWFC Joe Hill, GW Chris Hall, GWFC David Webb, Sgt. Lee Brown, GWFC Matt Johnson, GW Ryan Locke, GWFC Mitchell Crump, Cpl. Time Vickery, GWFC Brandon Pierce, GWFC Shane Sartor, GWFC Chris Kernahan, Back Row L-R: Cpl. Eric Sanders, Sgt. Mike Burgamy, GWFC Kevin Goss, Cpl. Eric Isom, Sgt. Derek Dillard, GWFC Beth Gilbert, GW Jonathan Segars, Cpl. Adam Loudermilk, Cpl. Eddie Tompkins, GWFC Shane Brown, Sgt. Steve Seitz, Cpl. Kevin Dyer, Sgt. Greg Colson, Capt. Johnny Johnson. \nThe Gainesville Region Is comprised of the 19 Northeast Georgia Counties which include several metro areas around Atlanta. Within these counties we have 8 major impoundments, 3 major rivers, 13 wildlife management areas, 220 miles of trout streams. 21 state park properties and 288,000 areas of National Forest lands. The impoundments within Region II receive over 20 million visitors annually while the state parks and WMAs receive another 2.5 Million annually. ` Promotions and Personnel Changes Captain Johnny Johnson was promoted to Lt. Colonel Captain Stan Elrod Transferred from Region III to Region II Game Warden Ryan Cleveland transferred from Region V to Region II CPL. Eric Sanders Retired Game Warden First Class Mitchell Crump Retired Game Warden First Class Kevin Godbee was promoted to Corporal in Region II Game Warden Savanah Miller graduated the Game Warden Academy Game Warden Bryan Price transferred from Region V to Region II Region Personnel Awards Corporal Eddie Tompkins was selected as the 2018 Region II Investigative Game Warden of the Year Game Warden Ryan Locke received the Region II \u0026 State Torch Award Game Warden Ryan Locke received the Region II Boating Safety Officer of the Year Award CPL. Tim Vickery received the Region Game Warden of the Year Award \n22 \n \n Hunting and Fishing Activity In December 2018 Cpl. Eddie Tompkins concluded an investigation of three subjects killing numerous whitetail deer in Gwinnett County. Cpl. Tompkins proved that the three subjects had started killing deer in June and had killed 7 velvet bucks before the season even started. Cpl. Tompkins also proved that once the season started the three kept killing deer. Cpl. Tompkins executed 7 search warrants during the investigation to obtain all the evidence in the case. The investigation lead to 71 arrest warrants being issued in total for offenses such as hunting out of season, hunting without permission, hunting over bait without landowner permission, over the limit of bucks, theft by taking of wildlife, hunting without a license, failure to tag deer, and hunting without hunter education. In total Cpl. Tompkins confiscated 12 Whitetail Deer, 2 crossbows, and several trail cameras. Cpl. Tompkins also proved that one of the subjects had destroyed several velvet buck racks before the search warrants were executed to obtain the evidence. \n23 \n \n In November 2018 GWFC Shane Brown received multiple complaints about a possible illegally killed buck in Lumpkin County. GWFC Brown finally was able to obtain a trail camera video showing the buck alive after dark the night before it was killed. The buck showed up at the deer processor at daylight and the individuals stated they killed it the night before but couldn't find it till late. Cpl. Eddie Tompkins and GWFC Brown went to the residence to interview the subjects separately. One subject admitted he killed the buck at approximately 3:00 AM off his back deck and that it was also his third buck. The subject received three charges. Lumpkin County Probate Court ordered him to pay $1132.00 and suspended his hunting privileges for two years. \nOn December 17, 2018, GWFC Brandon Pierce received a small amount of information on a suspect that supposedly had killed over the limit of antlered deer. GWFC Pierce started the investigation into the matter soon after the call. As GWFC Pierce dug into the case, more information began to appear. GWFC Pierce asked Cpl. Tim Vickery to assist with the \ninvestigation. Over the next couple of days several avenues were taken to get the needed evidence to interview the suspect. Then, on December 22, 2018, GWFC Pierce ended the investigation and with the assistance of Sgt. Derek Dillard and Cpl. Vickery, interviewed the suspect. During the interview the suspect confessed to the matter. As a result, four violations were documented. The violations consisted of failure to record deer harvest and taking over the season limit of antlered deer. GWFC Pierce seized two eleven-point buck racks, an eight point buck rack, and a nine \n24 \n \n point buck rack that was intended to be mounted. All for evidentiary purposes. Cpl. Adam Loudermilk and Game Warden Jeffery Turner, hosted the sixteenth annual Banks County youth deer hunt. More than twenty kids participated this year on Banks County property and the hunt yielded nearly 100% success rate. This hunt continues to provide for an outstanding chance to develop close personal relationships with sportsmen and women of the area, and provides an opportunity to hunt for some children who otherwise would not have such an opportunity. \nLake Chatuge in Towns County hosted the 2018 national B.A.S.S. Elite Series Angler of the Year Championship in September of 2018. The top 50 anglers in the national B.A.S.S. Elite Series participated in the event which drew large crowds to the area. Sgt. Steve Seitz, Sgt. Mike Barr, Cpl. Anne Wiley, Cpl. Kevin Dyer, GWFC David Webb, and GWFC Beth Gilbert patrolled the lake and manned a DNR Law Enforcement Division booth during the 5 day event. \nIn December 2018 Cpl. Eddie Tompkins and Sgt. Lee Brown responded to a call in South Forsyth County of possible illegal hunting. The complainant stated he had heard several shots from a high powered rifle come from the adjoining property just after daylight. South Forsyth County is only open to hunt deer with archery, muzzle loader, or shotgun. Once on scene Cpl. Tompkins saw a subject exiting the woods in full camo with no fluorescent orange vest. As soon as the subject saw Cpl. Tompkins he turned and ran back into the woods. Cpl. Tompkins gave chase. While chasing after the subject that ran he located two additional subjects both of which were hunting without fluorescent orange and one with a high powered rifle. Sgt. Brown was able to secure those two hunters and Cpl. Tompkins retuned to tracking the subject that initially ran. While tracking the subject Cpl. Tompkins saw a subject trying to hide in a blown down tree. When the subject saw Cpl. Tompkins approaching he got up and ran. Cpl. Tompkins was able to apprehend that hunter. That hunter had hid his rifle which was later located by DNR K-9 Colt and his handler Cpl. Eric Isom. The original subject was not located, however a 10 point buck that he had shot with a rifle was located. Later his rifle and other personal items were found hidden in the bushes. Later that night Game Wardens and deputies from the Barrow County Sheriff's Office attempted to locate the hunter that originally absconded at his residence. He was not located however several fresh deer heads were located. Cpl. Tompkins obtained a search warrant for the property and located six additional bucks that had recently been shot. In total Cpl. Tompkins took 26 arrest warrants for the subject that was not located. The three subjects that were located were issued a total of 15 citations. Cpl. Tompkins seized seven bucks as evidence. \n25 \n \n On Monday December 31st 2018, Corporal Tim Vickery and Game Warden Jonathan Segars finished up a month long investigation into an illegal hunting complaint. In August 2018, Cpl. Vickery received information that a subject had killed a deer illegally during the previous season. The information Cpl. Vickery received was that the subject had no licenses and was possibly a convicted felon. After investigating, Cpl. Vickery confirmed that the subject had no license, but the reason was because he had his hunting privileges suspended for failure to pay child support. Throughout the season Cpl. Vickery and GW Segars tried to catch the subject in the act of hunting with no success. It was later found that the subject had been in an accident and had not hunted during the current deer season. On December 30th, after gathering additional information from social media, Cpl. Vickery and GW Segars went to the subject's residence to talk to him about the \ndeer he had killed. The subject was not home. However, the Game Wardens spoke to the subject's wife and told her to have the subject call them. On December 31st, Cpl. Vickery and GW Segars were finishing up another complaint in Toccoa when they noticed the subject's vehicle at an intersection with the road they were traveling on. Corporal Vickery turned around and attempted to get the tag number to ensure that it was the subject they were looking for. When he did, however, the subject fled. Corporal Vickery and GW Segars managed to keep the subject in sight but did not pursue him with blue lights on through town. They followed the subject down a couple of roads and lost contact at one point, but picked the vehicle up again as it doubled back to where it came from. At that point turned Cpl. Vickery turned on his blue lights and siren to stop the vehicle. It continued through a residential area, running a stop sign before finally coming to a stop. The subject was removed from the vehicle and placed under arrest. The subject admitted to killing the deer the previous year while his hunting privileges were suspended. He also stated that he had talked to his wife that morning and that he knew the Game Warden was after him, and that he had run after seeing them pass by him. The vehicle was searched and a .45 caliber handgun was secured, along with a .308 caliber rifle. The Game Wardens were then advised by the subject's passenger that the subject had a glass pipe in his hand that he had thrown out the window right before they had stopped. The Game Wardens went to the area where the passenger had indicated and found two glass pipes containing a white residue, which was suspected to be methamphetamine. The vehicle was released to the passenger and the subject was transported to the Stephens County Jail. It was determined that the subject was not a convicted felon. After talking to the District Attorney, warrants were taken and the subject was charged with Violation of Georgia Controlled Substance Act (Felony), two counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony), Possession of Drug Related Objects, Fleeing and Attempting to Elude Police Officer, Failure to Stop at Stop Sign, Hunting While Privileges Suspended, Possession of Illegally Taken Wildlife, and Littering. The deer was confiscated for evidentiary purposes. \n26 \n \n Other Activity \nGame Wardens from across the state were called upon to assist with Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Stadium and on the campus of the Georgia World Congress Center. Sgt. Lee Brown led a team of 30 Game Wardens that assisted with perimeter security and check point security. Game Wardens were assigned to the detail for a total of 10 days. On June 11, 2019, Game Warden Jeffery Turner, Cpl. Anne Wiley and White County Sheriff's Office investigated a trespassing complaint on one of the DNR Law Enforcement affidavit properties located on Dukes Creek off Highway 75 in Sautee Nacoochee, GA. GW Turner received information that people were dredging for gold in Dukes Creek using machinery in the creek. The area is historically known for the discovery of gold in 1829 where a merchant purchased and shipped 1 to 1.5 million dollars-worth of gold in a thirty-year period. GW Turner made contact with five adults who were running the active dredging operation. The dredging machinery included a generator, gas, gas lines, suction tubes, float apparatus, suction apparatus and containers worth over $3,000.00. The landowner wanted the adults prosecuted for damaging the trout stream habitat that he has under an application for creek restoration with the Environmental Protection Agency. GW Turner and Cpl. Wiley cited the five adults for criminal trespass. White County Sheriff Deputies assisted with the investigation. On March 16, 2019, Cpl. Anne Wiley and GWFC Chad Chambers responded to a boating incident where two bass boats collided on Lake Chatuge right after a bass fishing tournament launched at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds Boat ramp. The two bass boats were traveling towards each other on the lake and Vessel I turned into Vessel II's course, causing Vessel II to strike Vessel I. The operator of Vessel I was directly struck by the hull of Vessel II and was pronounced deceased at the scene by Towns County Corner. The passenger in Vessel I received suspected minor injuries and was transported to Northeast Medical Center. The operator and passenger of Vessel II were uninjured. Cpl. Anne Wiley and Cpl. Bart Hendrix were the CIRT investigators for this incident. \n27 \n \n Region III- Thomson (East Central) \nFirst Row: CAPT Stan Elrod, SGT Max Boswell, GW Nolan Callaway, GW Chris Adkins, GW John Rhodes, CPL Jeff Billips, CPL Brian Adams. Second Row: SGT John Harwell, GW Noah Osborne, CPL Ricky Boles, GWFC Jason Harrison, CPL Derrell Worth, CPL Ryan Swain. Third Row: GWFC Mark Stephens, GWFC Dan Schay, CPL Tim Butler, SGT Matt Garthright, CPL Ben Payne, SGT Doyte Chaffin. Forth Row: CPL Mark Patterson, RFC Bobby Timmerman, SGT Brian Carter, RFC Phillip Nelson. Inset: AACIII Elizabeth Bentley, Part time Secretary Shelby Patterson. Not Shown Is GW Trae Paulk \nThe Region III Law Enforcement Division is comprised of twenty-one counties in East Central Georgia. Within the region, there are twenty Wildlife Management Areas, four State Parks, one Public Fishing Area, one Public Dove Field, one Voluntary Public Hunting access area, Clarks Hill Lake, Lake Russell, Lake Oconee, Savannah River, Ogeechee River, Oconee River, Apalachee River, and the Ohoopee river. Twenty-eight post certified Game Wardens and one Administrative Assistant are assigned to the region. Personnel Changes \n Sergeant Doyte Chaffin was promoted to region Captain following the transfer of Captain Stan Elrod to Region II. \n Sergeant Brian Hobbins transferred from Region VI to Region III to fill Sergeant Chaffins' position. \n Region III welcomed three new Game Wardens during 2018, Saxon Campbell assigned to McDuffie County, Jared Wood assigned to Warren County, and Kyle McDade assigned to Jefferson County. \n Region III also welcomed transfers Mark Stephens to Clarke County and Shane Sartor to Elbert County. \n28 \n \n  CPL Julian Wilkins retired after faithfully serving the Law Enforcement Division for 27 years. \n GWFC Tim Butler and Ricky Boles were promoted to Corporal within their work units. \nSpecialized Training  Game Wardens Noah Osborne and John Rhodes completed Sonar/ROV Operator Training.  CPL Brian Adams completed Digital Forensic Analysis, Florida Fish \u0026 Wildlife Venomous and  Conditional Reptile, and FTO training.  GWFC Dan Schay completed Honor Guard, IHEA Academy, and FTO training.  CPL Mark Patterson completed Firearms Instructor Training.  Captain Doyte Chaffin graduated from DNR Leadership Academy and the FBI LEEDS.  CPL Jeff Billips completed Semi-Auto Pistol 2 Training. \nNew Equipment \n \nRegion III received one new patrol boat this year. This boat is assigned to Columbia County and will be utilized to assist with calls on rivers within the region. \n \nPassing of Retired Game Wardens Captain Jimmy Steptoe passed away on September 12, 2018 following failing health. CPT Steptoe formerly served as Captain over Region III. \n \nCPL Ronnie Thomaston passed away on August 10, 2018 following failing health. CPL Thomaston last served as the Warren County Game Warden \n \n29 \n \n SGT Max Boswell's Work Unit Sergeant Boswell's work unit serves five counties and are patrolled by the following Game Wardens: CPL Jeffrey Billips/Burke County, GW Kyle McDade/Jefferson County, CPL Ben Payne/Richmond County, and GW Trae Paulk/Johnson and Washington Counties. Within this work unit are six WMA's, Hamburg State Park, and the following rivers: Savannah, Ogeechee, Oconee, and Ohoopee. During 2018 these Game Wardens responded to 223 complaints, completed 9 SAR's Cases, patrolled State owned properties 482 times, conducted 46 water patrols, checked 752 boats and 1729 licenses. Notable cases include a long-term fishing without permission case being resolved, an artifact digging case and several hunting without permission cases, one of which led to the arrest of a convicted felon. The convicted felon was charged with possession of firearm by convicted felon, hunting without harvest record, hunting without permission, failure to record big game harvest, and hunting with an illegal weapon. \nSGT Brian Carter's Work unit Sergeant Carter's work unit serves five counties and are patrolled by the following Game Wardens: CPL Tim Butler/Oconee County, GWFC Shane Sartor/Elbert County, RFC Philip Nelson/Oglethorpe County, CPL Mark Patterson/Wilkes County, and GWFC Mark Stephens/Clarke County. Within this work unit is Clarks Hill Lake, Lake Russell, Richard B. Russell State Park, and three WMA's. During 2018 these Game Wardens responded to 156 complaints, completed 1 SAR Case, patrolled State owned properties 699 times, conducted 76 water patrols, checked 415 boats and 1717 licenses. Notable cases included: \n The Clarks Hill WMA in Wilkes County was hit hard by persons stealing firewood and creating their own road system through the woods to load and haul it off. The Spartan Camera system was deployed. Three groups were caught resulting in 16 violator contacts for Criminal Trespass and Driving in Unauthorized Areas on a WMA. \n Seven groups of night deer hunters and one group of daytime road hunters were apprehended across Clarke, Elbert, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Wilkes Counties (at least one group was caught in every county in the section). This resulted in 23 subjects being charged, two of which were convicted felons. Two more groups were stopped for shining, which resulted in seven subjects being warned for Blinding Wildlife. Additionally, two more convicted felons were pulled off dove fields, one of which was on the Lower Broad River WMA public field. \n30 \n \n  Traps were located on four different properties  two in Taliaferro County and two in Oconee County. Five trappers were checked resulting in seven violator contacts ranging from trapping out of season (2) and Failure to Tag Traps (2) to Trapping Without Permission. \nSGT Doyte Chaffin's Work Unit SGT Chaffin's work unit serves five counties, Clarks Hill Lake, Savannah River, McDuffie PFA, Elijah Clark State Park, Mistletoe State Park and five WMA's. The following Game Wardens patrol these areas: CPL Brian Adams/Glascock County, GW Chris Adkins/Columbia County, GW Saxon Campbell/McDuffie County, GW Noah Osborne/Elijah Clark State Park, GW Jared Wood/Warren County, CPL Ryan Swain/Lincoln County, RFC Bobby Timmerman/Clarks Hill Lake/Columba County. Game Wardens Noah Osborne and Chris Adkins graduated from the 32nd Game Warden Academy. Noah served as the class Chaplain and Chris received the Wildlife Award. Jared Wood and Saxon Campbell graduated from the 33rd Game Warden Academy. Jared served as the class PT instructor and Saxon served as the class Chaplain. GWFC Bobby Timmerman was recognized as the Boating Safety officer of the year for Region III. During 2018 these Game Wardens responded to 145 complaints, completed 19 SAR cases, patrolled State properties 691 times, conducted 206 water patrols, checked 1622 boats and 2206 licenses. Notable cases included several night hunting cases which led to arrests, hunting turkey over bait, hunting on closed WMA's, hunting without permission cases, and a pending RICO Case involving a Taxidermy Operation. \n31 \n \n SGT Matt Garthright's Work Unit Sergeant Garthright's work unit serves five counties and is patrolled by the following Game Wardens: Cpl. Derrell Worth/Greene County, Cpl. Ricky Boles/Morgan County, GWFC Dan Schay/Newton County, GWFC Jason Harrison/Walton County, GW John Rhodes/Hancock County, and GW Nolan Callaway/Greene County Lake Oconee BS. In addition, this work unit is responsible for providing law enforcement on Oconee, Redlands, Walton Dove Field, and Gaither WMAs along with Hard Labor Creek State Park. During 2018, these Game Wardens responded to 331 complaints, completed 16 Search and Rescues, logged 553 state land patrols, checked 4428 resource user licenses and 2309 boats, and patrolled state waterways 209 times. \n32 \n \n Sergeant Garthright's work unit had many accomplishments over the last year. Ricky was promoted to Corporal. John graduated the 32nd Game Warden Academy and transferred to Hancock County. Nolan transferred into the work section as our Greene County/Lake Oconee BS Game Warden. Derrell represented Region III as their NWTF Game Warden of the year and received the State NWTF Award. Dan was recognized as Region III Game Warden of the Year, Waterfowl Officer of the Year, and Investigative Officer of the Year. Dan also joined the DNR Honor Guard and became a Field Training Officer. \nEnforcement patrols on Lake Oconee continue to be more challenging for this work unit as the boat traffic continues to increase year after year. Sergeant Garthright's work unit responded to 7 boating incidents, 2 of which were fatalities and three drownings. While on patrol, Game Wardens arrested 14 individuals for boating under the influence of alcohol. \nThis work unit saw an increase of without permission complaints this year as well. Game Wardens worked these complaints and contacted many individuals hunting without permission. These complaints led to numerous other violations to include: Possession of firearm by convicted felon, hunting while privileges suspended, theft by taking, hunting without license, hunting without orange, hunting turkeys over bait, obstruction, and felony drug charges. \nTurkey season was notable for Sergeant Garthright's work unit. Game wardens in the section apprehended 23 individuals hunting turkeys over bait and several hunting without permission. One gobbler was also confiscated on opening day of the season. \n33 \n \n Game Wardens in Sergeant Garthright's section were actively involved in their communities. They participated in programs across the section. These programs let others meet their local game wardens and are a great way for the group to have good positive contacts with the public. The programs included: recruitment opportunities, career day events, wild game suppers, Jr. Deputy Camp, youth deer and youth squirrel hunts, NWTF Jake's day events and banquets, public safety days, hunter safety, and boater safety courses. \n34 \n \n Region IV- Macon (West Central) \nFront row l-r: AA3 Kim Cato, Ethan Franklin, Cpl. Keith Waddell, Cpl. Keith Page, Charlie Follin, Sgt. Jeremy Bolen, Cpl. Tony Wynne, Sgt. Travis Sweat, Jessica Spencer, Sgt. Brent Railey, Secretary Debbie Stephens. Second row l-r: Sgt. Bo Kelly, Cpl. Wil Smith, David Fisher, Russell Epps, Cpl. Mitch Oliver, Ken Lalumiere, Josh Cockrell, Steven Martinez. Third row l-r: Kevin Hurley, Jason Bennett, Cpl. Freddie Hays, Lamar Burns, Cpl. Robert Stillwell, Dean Gibson, Cpl. Kevin Godbee, Cpl. Lynn Stanford. Fourth row l-r: Zachary Griffis, Capt. Chris Hodge, Sgt. Tony Fox \nDue to the promotion of Lt. Wanda Roberts to Headquarters, Sgt. Tony Fox was selected to fill the position in the Region IV Office as Administrative Sgt. Sgt. Fox served as a field supervisor for 14 years and will now oversee office staff, administrative duties, and assist with the Region budget. \n35 \n \n Sergeant Bolen's section consists of Harris, Muscogee, Talbot, Taylor, Crawford, Bibb, and Peach Counties. The Game Wardens in this work unit patrol Lake Harding, Lake Oliver, Goat Rock, and Lake Tobesofkee, along with several miles of the Chattahoochee, Ocmulgee, and Flint Rivers. Several state-owned properties are also located within the work section including 7 Wildlife Management Areas, 1 Public Fishing Area, and 1 State Park. Game Wardens assigned to this work unit are Cpl. Mitch Oliver, Cpl. Josh Swain, GWFC David Fisher, Game Warden Lamar Burns, Game Warden Ethan Franklin, and Game Warden Dean Gibson. In November of 2018, Cpl. Oliver and Game Warden Dean Gibson were \npatrolling for hunting activity. They located a truck parked in an area which is usually known for fishing and not hunting activity. After checking the area for fishing and not locating anyone, they decided to check the city property for hunting activity. Cpl. Oliver located a hunter whom he has an extensive history with for violating hunting laws. Cpl. Oliver eventually located 3 hunters who were out illegally hunting on the city property. All 3 subjects received various hunting citations to include license violations, hunting without fluorescent orange, and hunting without permission. In March of 2019, Cpl. Swain and GWFC Fisher responded to a turkey hunting without permission complaint. Cpl. Swain located and collected evidence including the shot pellets which were in a tree over the property line. The evidence was critical in tying the suspect back to the crime scene. After completing the investigation, a hunter was issued a citation for hunting turkeys without permission and this was mainly due to the thoroughness that Cpl. Swain put into the case. \nGame Warden First Class David Fisher is assigned to Crawford County. He was named the Region 4 Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Game Warden of the Year and the Region 4 Game Warden of the Year. GWFC Fisher teaches Cultural awareness, ATV instruction, and Boating EVOC instruction at the Game Warden academy. GWFC Fisher was also responsible for field training a new cadet Game Warden from the last academy class. \n36 \n \n In February of 2019, GWFC David Fisher worked with a group of local high school students to assist in building wood duck boxes. GWFC Fisher then worked with local Game Management staff to place the wood duck boxes out on local WMA's to improve local waterfowl habitat. In March of 2019, Game Warden Lamar Burns and GWFC David Fisher responded to a request from local Law Enforcement. The agency was performing a search warrant and a live alligator was located during the search. Game Wardens responded to the residence and Game Warden Burns issued the subject a citation for the violation. The alligator was transported to a permitted facility and turned over. \nGame Warden Ethan Franklin is currently assigned to Talbot County. Game Warden Franklin received the Region 4 Investigative Game Warden of the Year Award and the Region 4 Torch Award. In September of 2018, Game Warden Franklin was notified about a large quantity of blue crabs that were dumped into the Chattahoochee River in Columbus. Game Warden diligently followed up the complaint and located the individual who was responsible for dumping the crags. During the investigation, a local seafood market was also found to be in violation of several seafood market permit violations. Game Warden Dean Gibson is assigned to FDR State Park/Harris County. Game Warden Gibson graduated the DNR Academy in October of 2018 and he completed FTO training in January of 2019. \n37 \n \n In August of 2018, K-9 Ruger was utilized to search for firearms that were used during a murder in Meriwether County. After a brief search, Ruger located 2 of the 3 firearms that Deputies were looking for. The firearms were collected and turned over as evidence. \nIn October of 2018, K-9 Ruger unexpectedly passed away. During his 8 1/2 years of service, he assisted numerous Game Wardens with locating evidence, finding hunters, and presenting demonstrations for various groups. \nSgt. Brent Railey's work unit encompasses the northwest area of Region IV. His unit consists of Heard, Troup, Coweta, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, Fayette, Clayton, and Henry Counties. Cpl. Keith Waddel and Cpl. Keith Page, along with K-9 Rio, assist Sgt. Railey with supervisory duties in this work unit. Game Wardens Russell Epps, Ken Lalumiere, Charles Follin, and Steven Martinez are also assigned to this work unit. \nIn October of 2018, Game Warden Russell Epps was requested by the Troup County Sheriff's Office to assist with a search warrant on a residence in November of 2018. Deputies had located what they believed to be illegal wildlife parts on the premises. While there, the homeowner drove up with a Mule deer in his truck from Colorado which is a CWD state. The deer was taken out of the truck to be destroyed because of the chance it was positive for CWD. While confiscating the deer deputies found several large bags of marijuana stuffed inside the body cavity of the deer. \nGame Wardens Keith Waddell, Ethan Franklin, Zack Griffis, Josh Swain, Russell Epps, Charlie Follin, Ken Lalumiere, Keith Page, Captain Chris Hodge, Major Doc Watson, Steven Martinez and Sgt. Brent Railey assisted Columbus Police with a large-scale grid search for a missing person on the Troup/Heard County line on West Point WMA. \n38 \n \n On Saturday May 18 GW Russell Epps, GW Charlie Follin and Sgt Brent Railey responded to a vessel fire on West Point Lake at Sunny Point Access in Troup County. Upon arrival they found a ski boat fully engulfed in flames. GW Epps and Follin put two LaGrange Firefighters on their patrol boat and were able to get the fire under control enough to tow it to shore and fully extinguish the flames. \nIn October of 2018 Sergeant Travis Sweat became the supervisor for the work unit that covers Butts, Jasper, Lamar, Monroe, and Upson Counties. Included in this work unit are Lake Jackson, Lake Juliette, High Falls Lake, the Ocmulgee River, the Towaliga River, the Flint River, High Falls State Park, Indian Springs State Park, Rum Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Clybel WMA, Sprewell Bluff WMA, Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center, Marben Farm PFA, and Camp Thunder hunting area. The work unit consisted of three officers: Corporal Wil Smith, Corporal Tony Wynne, and Game Warden First Class Jessica (Niki) Spencer. Game Warden First Class Keith Page (with K-9 Reno) was promoted to Corporal in SGT. Brent Railey's section, Game Warden Zach Griffis lateral transferred to McIntosh County, and Game Warden First Class Fred Hays retired. \nIn May of 2018 CPL Wynne attended and taught firearms safety at the Charlie Elliott Keeping GA Wild outdoor event. CPL Wynne was able to pass on safe gun handling techniques to countless individuals. Due to his efforts and commitment these individual, some of which having never fired a firearm, are now up and coming sportsmen. \n39 \n \n In January of 2019, SGT Sweat's work section responded to a suicide call on High Falls State Park. The entire work section, as well as several others in DNR LE, worked the incident. The LE Division, coupled with the State Parks SAR team, worked together to bring the incident to a close quickly to help give the family closure. \nSgt. James \"Bo\" Kelly's work unit covers 8 counties in middle Georgia including Putnam, Baldwin, Jones, Wilkinson, Twiggs, Houston, Bleckley and Pulaski county. This work unit also includes Lake Sinclair, a 15,500 acre Georgia Power impoundment. The work unit currently consists of 8 Game Wardens. \nDuring the last year, 4 newly hired Game Wardens joined the work unit. Game Warden Kevin Hurley was assigned to Twiggs County. Game Warden Jason Bennett transferred into Bleckley County. Game Warden Erin Mcdade was assigned Baldwin County. Game Warden Evan Nobles was assigned to Pulaski County. The former Bleckley County Game Warden Ronnie Beard retired during this period. \nWork unit Game Wardens investigated numerous complaints/calls during this period. Violations of hunting/fishing without permission, hunting deer at night, hunting/boating under the influence, and several Wildlife Management Area violations were documented. \n40 \n \n Game Wardens patrolled Lake Sinclair during the year responding to and investigating 6 boating incidents. Our work unit arrested 13 boat operators for boating under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. We maintain two patrol boats on Lake Sinclair for law enforcement/search and rescue patrols. Work units from Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair attended the annual Georgia Power lake safety meeting to address law enforcement problems and concerns on both lakes. Game Wardens were deployed to South Georgia in response to Hurricane Irma, which caused significant damage to the Albany area. Our work unit deployed four Game Wardens to open roads for emergency calls and conducting search and rescue operations. \n41 \n \n Region V- Albany (Southwest) \n(L-R) Steve Robinson, Scott Carroll, Phillip Stout, Quinn Fogle, Clint Martin, Tony Cox, Bryan Price, Taylor Brown, Al Greer, Steve Thomas, Logan South, Brock Hoyt, Kristie Carpenter, Jesse Harrison, David Ruddell, David Jones, Tommy Daughtrey, Cindy Hynote, Eric White, Ellis Wynn, Jim Atchley, DNR Chaplin Daryl Brown, Rick Sellars. Front kneeling: Greg Wade and Trigg. Not shown are Levi Thompson, Greg Castelli, Drew Beverly, Stetson Stevens and Blake Chafin. \nThe Region V Law Enforcement Division is comprised of twenty-nine counties in the southwest portion of the state with the headquarters located in Albany. Within the region there are five large reservoirs, two major rivers, a multitude of smaller streams, thirteen wildlife management areas, seven state parks, Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, and Ft. Benning Military Base. Currently, the region has twenty-six POST certified game wardens, with twenty-four assigned field responsibilities and Captain Rick Sellars and Sergeant Ellis Wynn assigned administrative responsibilities. The region also has two non-sworn administrative staff, Cindy Hynote the Administrative Assistant III, and a vacant secretary position. \nFrom (L-R): Captain Rick Sellars, Secretary Shannon Boyd, AOC Cindy Hynote and Sergeant Ellis Wynn. \n42 \n \n The region's twenty-nine counties are divided into four work units: \nThe Lake Blackshear Unit consists of Sergeant Al Greer, Corporal Clint Martin, Corporal Jesse Harrison, Game Wardens Logan South, Stetson Stevens and Blake Chafin. This year five Wardens were added to this unit, Logan South, Dean Gibson, and Bryan Price graduated from the 32nd academy. Warden Dean Gibson transferred to Region IV, and Warden Bryan Price transferred to Region II. In June Wardens Blake Chafin and Stetson Stevens, joined this section after completing the 33rd academy. The work section spent over 600 hours working citizen complaints this year. There were two boating incidents with only property damage, three hunting incidents, and one drowning in the work section. The section charged six people for hunting deer at night and charged three subjects with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. \nFrom L-R: Corporal Clint Martin, Logan South, Sergeant Al Greer, and Corporal Jesse Harrison. Inset: Blake Chafin and Stetson Stevens \nThe Lake Worth Unit consists of Sergeant David Ruddell, Corporal Greg Wade, Corporal Tommy Daughtrey, Game Warden First Class Eric White, Wardens David Jones and Kristie Carpenter. The wardens addressed 140 complaints in the work unit, documented 695 violations, performed 1,184 license checks, 468 boat inspections (45 patrols on the water), performed 242 patrols on state owned lands and responded to 29 SAR's calls. Notable activity in the work unit included; charging numerous subjects for hunting ducks over bait on six baited ponds and one after-hours roost shoot; one group of night deer hunters; seven individuals hunting turkey over bait; two subjects for taking over the season-limit of antlered deer; two subjects for buying/selling wildlife; three subjects for hunting on closed WMA's; and two BUI arrests. The wardens investigated two hunting incidents involving subjects who fell from tree stands and conducted search/recovery operations on eight drownings. Wildlife and boating safety patrols also produced seven felony arrests of felons with firearms and possession of Schedule I drugs. Game Wardens assisted investigators from the Florida Fish \u0026 Wildlife Commission with a high-profile bear hunting investigation that involved a resident of Colquitt County. A pre-dawn raid to serve arrest and search warrants on the subject resulted in his extradition to Florida for: Racketeering (1st degree felony), Animal Fighting or Baiting (3rd degree felony), three counts of Animal Cruelty (3rd degree \n43 \n \n felony), Littering (3rd degree felony), Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device (3rd degree felony), and Unlawful Taking of a Black Bear (2nd degree misdemeanor). \nFrom L-R: GWFC Eric White, GW David Jones, Sergeant David Ruddell, Corporal Greg Wade, Corporal Tommy Daughtrey. Inset: Kristie Carpenter. \nThe Lake Seminole Unit consists of Sergeant Tony Cox, Corporal Steve Thomas, Corporal Quinn Fogle, Wardens Ryan Cleveland, Taylor Brown, Drew Beverly and Gregory Castelli. Sgt. Cox and his group spent four hundred and twelve hours working a total of 67 complaints. Investigations into these complaints lead to the arrest of 35 persons for offences that included fishing and hunting without permission, night deer hunting, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of meth-amphetamine, possession of marijuana, hunting alligators out of season, and the possession of wildlife without a permit. The wardens arrested seven groups of night hunters that consisted of seventeen individuals, flagged three dove fields, shut down and cited hunters on two baited dove fields and confiscated eight illegally taken bucks. During waterfowl season sixty two violator contacts were made for waterfowl hunting violations. The wardens apprehended hunters on one baited duck pond and three after hours roost shoots and confiscated numerous ducks. They worked six reportable boating incidents that resulted in three injuries and a fatality and had eight BUI arrests on the combined waters of Lake Seminole, Spring Creek and the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. \nFrom L-R: Corporal Quinn Fogle, Corporal Steve Thomas, Ryan Cleveland, Taylor Brown and Sergeant Tony Cox. Inset: Drew Beverly and Gregory Castelli \nThe Lake Walter F. George Unit consists of Sergeant Jim Atchley, Corporal Scott Carroll, Corporal Steve Robinson, Wardens \n44 \n \n Philip Stout and Brock Hoyt. During the past year three new wardens were added to this work section, Brock Hoyt, Philip Stout and Levi Thompson. Quinn Fogle was promoted to Corporal in Early County under Sergeant Tony Cox. The work unit documented 497 violator contacts. Wardens Carroll and Fogle arrested twentyseven subjects for BUI, Hoyt and Stout have one BUI each for a total of twenty-nine in the section. Corporals Carroll and Robinson arrested two subjects for HUI. Nine deer were confiscated for violations including hunting deer at night, over the season bag limit and hunting out of season. The work section conducted over 630 patrols on state owned lands to keep visitors safe and Corporal Steve Robinson has been diligent, conducting 328 of these patrols on Florence Marina and Providence Canyon State Park along with patrols on Hannahatchee Creek WMA and Lannahassee VPA. Corporals Carroll and Robinson assisted in teaching during the current Game Warden Academy and serve as training officers for our new wardens. \nFrom L-R: Phillip Stout, Brock Hoyt, Corporal Scott Carrol, Sergeant Jim Atchley, Corporal Steve Robinson and Levi Thompson. \nRegion V staff were recognized for their work throughout the year: \nDuring FY 2019 Corporal Quinn Fogle was selected for the 2018 Darnell Award, 2018 Investigative Award, and the 2018 Boating Safety Award. Cpl. Fogle was selected as the 2018 Boating Safety Game Warden of the Year for his outstanding work in the area of boating safety. Cpl. Fogle dedicated over 200 hours of effort towards providing the public with a safe environment on the waters in and around Lake Seminole, Flint River, Lake George, and the Chattahoochee River. Cpl. Fogle had 75 boating violator contacts and assisted with 25 BUI's. He was also selected for the 2018 Investigative Award following a three-month long investigation in Early County that resulted over 89 charges on 10 subjects charged for multiple wildlife violations. The wildlife violations consisted of hunting deer at night, hunting alligators out of season, hunting from a public road, hunting without licenses, and hunting with a motor vehicle. \n45 \n \n Eric White was selected as the 2018 Hunter Education Instructor of the Year. \nGame Warden Kristie Carpenter received two awards during her P.O.S.T. training. The Community Service award was in recognition for her project that resulted in the donations of 100 \"Journey Bags\" to the Monroe County DFCS center for children and families. The Most Determined in Physical Fitness award was in recognition as being the most improved in physical fitness over the course of the entire Game Warden Academy. Carpenter was also presented with the Class Flag for P.O.S.T. Session 68 as being a competitor in every area and demonstrating the \"spirit of the class\". \nRegion V personnel changes this year: \nQuinn Fogle promoted to Corporal in Early County. Steve Thomas was promoted to Corporal in Grady County. Sgt. Bob Holley was promoted to Captain in the training unit. Corporal Tony Cox was promoted to Sergeant of the Lake Seminole Unit. David Jones, Philip Stout, Ryan Cleveland and Logan South were promoted to Ranger II. Bryan Price transferred to Region II. Dean Gibson transferred to Region IV. Eric White transferred from Thomas County to Colquitt County. David Jones transferred from Colquitt to Thomas County. Secretary Shannon Boyd left the agency to pursue other interests. The Law Enforcement Division was fortunately able to hire additional game wardens throughout the state this year, with Region V receiving five new game wardens. These five wardens completed POST basic training and the 33rd Game Warden Academy in June and have reported to their assigned counties. Levi Thompson-Webster County Drew Beverly-Mitchell County Stetson Stevens-Sumter County Blake Chafin-Turner County Gregory Castelli- Miller County \nHurricane Michael \nHurricane Michael was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the United States since Andrew in 1992 and the fourth strongest land falling hurricane in the contiguous United States in terms of wind speed. It became a tropical depression on October 7th, a hurricane on the 8th and reached major hurricane status on the 9th in the Gulf of Mexico. As a Category 5 hurricane with 160 mph winds, it made landfall at Mexico Beach Florida devastating the coastal area with a fourteen foot storm surge. It then tracked northeastward across the panhandle of Florida and entered Georgia around Donalsonville with winds in excess of 100 mph being experienced as far north as Albany. The eye passed directly through Region V and within twelve hours of landfall it had moved across the state and was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved into the Carolinas on October 11th. Seventy four lives were lost due to the storm and insurance claims reached 6.3 billion dollars with an estimated agricultural loss of 3.8 billion dollars. Four million acres of timber was damaged or \n46 \n \n destroyed. Many of our employees were directly impacted with homes and structures sustaining damage from falling trees and high winds. Game Wardens from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources responded and immediately went into action providing assistance to the residents of Georgia. A command center was established in Albany and disaster response teams moved into the affected areas to assist persons who were impacted by the storm. Game Wardens provided security, assisted local and federal agencies in logistics and cleared roads throughout the affected areas. \n47 \n \n Region VI- Metter (Southeast) \nKneeling L to R: Cpl. Tim Hutto, K9 Titan,GW Aaron Powell, GW Thomas Sibley, GW John Kennedy, GWFC Bobby Sanders, GW Cameron Dyal, GW Luke Rabun, GW Chris Thompson, GW Joseph Cowart, Cpl. Mark Pool. Sitting L to R: Sgt. Patrick Dupree, Sgt. James McLaughlin, Admin Assist. April Thrift, Sgt. Chris Moore, Admin. Sup. Christina Colquitt, Capt. Scott Kiligel, Sgt. Morty Wood, Cpl. Shaymus McNeely, Cpl. Jason Shipes, Chaplan Chip Strickland Standing L to R: GWFC Randell Meeks, GWFC Patrick Gibbs, Cpl. Mike Wilcox, GWFC Jordan Crawford, GW Austin Biggers, GW Andrew Crider, GWFC Jaon Miller, GW Johnny Robinette, GWFC Sam Williams, GWFC Clint Jarriel, GWFC Rodney Horne, Cpl. Jon Penuel, Cpl. Dan Stiles, GWFC Judd Sears, Cpl. Chase Altman, GWFC Daniel North, Cpl. Kevin Joyce, GWFC Allen Mills \nThe Region VI office in Metter services 32 counties which are separated into five work sections. Region VI encompasses over 14,000 square miles or 24% of the land mass of Georgia and serves over 740,000 people. Most of it is privately-owned lands which covered with agricultural fields, planted timber and natural forests. Region VI Wardens cover state waters which includes river systems that span from the South Carolina border to the Florida border and over 145,000 acres of public lands that includes: six state parks, eighteen WMA properties, four PFA properties, various public dove fields and many VPA properties. Personnel The office is staffed by Region Supervisor Captain Scott Klingel, Administrative Sergeant Chris Moore, Administrative Assistant III April Thrift, and Administrative Support I Christina Colquitt. New Hires Andrew Crider assigned to Bacon County. Austin Biggers assigned to Telfair County. Aaron Powell assigned to Lowndes County. Luke Rabun assigned to Atkinson County. All completed the Game Warden Academy in June 2019. \n48 \n \n Retirements Corporal John Stokes retired after 29 years of service. Stokes was assigned to Ben Hill County. Sergeant Jon Barnard retired after 28 years of service. Barnard was a section supervisor. Region Personnel Awards GW Chris Thompsom -Torch Award for 2019 GWFC Patrick Gibbs Game Warden of the Year and Boating Officer of the Year State Wide Awards Captain Scott Klingel -Supervisor of the Year GWFC Patrick Gibbs -Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award and Instructor of the Year National Awards 2019 NAWEOA Torch Award GWFC Bobby Sanders \nContinuing Education and Specialized Training Sergeant James McLaughlin graduated from the DNR Leadership Academy in November 2018 and continues to attend Command College at Columbus State University. \nGame Wardens Mark Pool, Clint Jarriel Corporals Mike Wilcox, Tim Hutto, Jason Shipes, Kevin Joyce and Mark Pool attended classes at Columbus State University Professional Management Program (PMP). \nCpl. Jason Shipes attended Trax/ZetX cell phone training in Jacksonville, FL. With increased use of cell phones and social media by the public, this advanced training allows mapping of cell phone use which will aid poaching investigations. \nSearch and Rescue/Natural Disasters With specialized equipment and training, Georgia Game Wardens are always ready to assist in search and rescue operations whether on land, on water or in the air. Wardens also respond to all hunting incidents, boating incidents and drownings in the region. As in the past Wardens are quick to respond to natural disasters. Most Wardens patrol their counties after major storms past through to assist the local county agencies. As in case of major natural disasters such as hurricanes, Wardens respond by putting together specialized teams. Hurricane Michael was a major storm that hit with 155 mph winds in the Florida panhandle and ripped through Georgia. Southwest Georgia was impacted severely. Region VI Wardens responded alongside other Regions by providing around the clock details to assist local agencies for several days in the impacted areas. \nNight Hunting Region VI has thousands of miles of roads that varies from four lane interstates down to one lane county dirt roads. Many of the smaller roads ramble through large tracts of agricultural fields and planted timber that are easily accessible from the roadway but are isolated from most of the population. Even with the disadvantage of having such a large area to cover, Region VI Game Wardens had another successful year of protecting the resources by apprehending night hunters. 56 groups of night hunters were stopped which led to 319 violations being documented. \n49 \n \n Region VI Game Wardens have seen the use of modern technology being used to aid poachers. Game Wardens in the past year have apprehended poachers using night vision, infrared lights, suppressed rifles, weapon mounted lights, weapon mounted laser sights and thermal scopes. \nBear Hunting The southern end of the Region covers the Okefenokee Swamp. This area has a large population of black bears. Bear poaching has become a problem in the area. \nSergeant Dupree working with Game Management and US Fish and Wildlife Service at Okefenokee NWR was able to have a euthanized bear mounted. It will be used as a decoy to help thwart bear poaching activities in the area. \nRegion VI Game Wardens worked with Florida Game Wardens in catching poachers that were poaching in Florida and Georgia. In December the Game Wardens served arrest warrants and search warrants across North Florida. Nine individuals were charged with violations related to illegal bear hunting in Florida. Five of those same individuals were charged with numerous hunting violations in Georgia. \nInvestigations Along with patrols of their assigned area and working night hunt details, Game Wardens also respond to tips and complaints received via the Ranger Hotline, social media and in person. Violations and information on violations are found on social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. \nOn April 13th Cpl. Shaymus McNeely and GWFC Jordan Crawford completed an investigation that led to charges against four individuals for violations that occurred over the past two years. The group had poached a variety of game animals across Screven and Effingham counties. The investigation led to a total of 78 citations and warnings against the four suspects. \n50 \n \n During an investigation of a local taxidermist GWFC Bobby Sanders and GW Cameron Dyal located a Mule Deer and a Whitetail Deer head brought into Georgia from Wyoming in violation of Chronic Wasting Disease Laws. \nDove Season/Waterfowl Region VI wardens conducted many dove field inspections before and during the season. Several fields were found to be in violation of the bait laws in Georgia and were posted before the season. Other fields were found to be in violation during the season and the violations were documented and birds seized. Waterfowl season is always a challenge because of the variety of locations that the waterfowl can inhabit. This includes the rivers, creeks, farm ponds and natural wet weather ponds. \nSergeant Jon Barnard, Corporal Kevin Joyce, and Game Wardens First Class Bobby Sanders and Randell Meeks confiscated 54 birds on a field in Toombs County. \nTwenty-nine ducks confiscated by GWFC Clint Jarriel and Patrick Gibbs after locating a roost shoot. \n51 \n \n Protecting the resources on state lands During the last few years, WRD has added new lands to those that are managed by DNR. Several WMA's grew in size, while several new properties added to the number of acres patrolled by the region's Wardens. Game Wardens patrol public lands for hunting, fishing and boating, as well as for other activities that range from illegal use of ATV's to drug possession. Several of these properties have palmetto plants on them and the palmetto berries are popular in the homeopathic medicine market. Region VI Wardens work with other state agencies, such as Georgia Forestry Commission, to protect the public lands. Multiple groups have been arrested on various properties for illegally picking the berries. As with the past few years, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) has added onto the acres inside some of the WMA's. Bullard Creek's boundaries now encompass more than 16,000 acres Bullard Creek WMA also includes a gun range and a 3D archery range. Several of the WMA's have large amount of the palmetto plant growing inside the boundaries. This year Region VI wardens continued to work with other agencies to thwart the theft of the berries. \nSergeant Dupree's work unit encountered numerous individuals illegally picking berries. \nWarden Chris Thompson apprehended five illegal immigrants stealing berries on Alapaha WMA in Irwin County. \n52 \n \n Community Involvement Community Involvement is paramount for Game Wardens to be able to do their jobs. All Game Wardens participate in information and education programs (I\u0026E's) in their local K-12 schools as well as the local colleges and vocational schools. The Region Wardens also offer three Hunter Safety programs for their assigned area. Game Wardens give I\u0026E's to their local civic groups and their local government agencies and leadership. \nGW Thomas Sibley teaching gun safety with safe guns at Berrien Elementary School during the CHAMPS Program. \nGame Wardens also represent DNR LED at sportsmen events such as NWTF banquets, Evans Wildlife Festival, Gaskins Day in the Woods, James Eunice Charity Dove Hunt in Lowndes County as well as their local hunting clubs' events. \nAs in past years, one of the community highlights is assisting with the annual Lowndes Longspurs Youth Turkey School and Hunt. It is events such as this that ensures a strong community bond as well as raising up the next generation of outdoor stewards. \n53 \n \n Region VII- Brunswick (Coastal) \n(L/R) 1st row- Captain Bob Lynn, GWFC Jack Thain, K-9 Case, Sgt. Mark Carson 2nd row- Cpl. David Brady, Sgt. Damon Winters, GW Chandler Hamrick, GW Cassidy Gerstorff, GW Matt Tsiklistas, Cpl. Kiel Tony, Sgt. Cindy Miller 3rd row- GWFC Jay Bright, Mechanic 3 Gary Denis, Sgt. Phillip Scott, Cpl. Randy Aspinwall, GWFC Tim Morris, GWFC Colte Shaske, GW Doug Chambers 4th row- GW Zach Griffis, License Tech Ashley Hutson, AA3 Janette Senior, GW Quintin Reed, Cpl. Bobby White, Cpl. Barry Britt, Cpl. Bill Bryson Not Pictured- Sgt. Chris Ridley, Cpl. John Evans, Cpl. Kate Hargrove \nRegion VII is comprised of 3 inland counties and 6 coastal counties (Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, Long, Wayne, McIntosh, Brantley, Glynn, and Camden). Within Region VII, we have 15 Wildlife Management Area totaling 164,000 acres, 8 State Parks, 3,400 miles of tidal shoreline, and 105 miles of beaches. Region VII focuses heavily on the commercial fishing industry and offshore Federal fisheries. This year our efforts ranged from our \"normal\" hunting and fishing violations to assisting other agencies with crowd control to numerous commercial fishing violations. \n54 \n \n On 7-24-18 two individuals took six baby loggerhead sea turtles from the beach and kept them in a trashcan in their hotel room. A worker in the hotel saw the turtles. The worker later took the turtles to the Tybee Marine Science Center. Cpl. Kiel Toney worked with Tybee PD and NOAA officer Hughes interviewing the two individuals. They eventually confessed about where they took the turtles. The case was turned over to US Fish and Wildlife. Each was fined approximately 1300 dollars for the violations. \nOn July 25th and July 26th, Game Wardens Colte Shaske and John Evans boarded commercial shrimping vessels offshore of Jekyll and St Simons Islands. They measured the TEDs (Turtle Excluder Device) and nets and checked fish on board. All boats were in compliance both days. \nOn July 27th, Cpl. John Evans and Wildlife Technician Hal Wiggins were patrolling the Clayhole Swamp WMA. They encountered a SUV at the pond next to the campground. The female was still behind the wheel and the male was at the back of the vehicle. Cpl. Evans began talking with the female and noticed that she was acting very nervous. He could smell the odor of marijuana and soon noticed a large marijuana blunt on the console that she was trying to hide. Further investigation yielded a bag of marijuana from the man's pocket and several drug paraphernalia items from the vehicle. Both people were arrested and charged with Violation of the GA Controlled Substance Act and Entering WRD property without a Lands Pass. \nOn Saturday September 22, 2018, Game Wardens Sgt. Scott, RFC Morris and RFC Thain with K9 Case were dispatched to assist Long County with a search for an elderly female and two juveniles lost in a large wooded area on the Liberty and Long County border. Upon arrival, hunt club members met with Sgt. Scott and advised that all parties had been located and that the elderly female needed medical attention and were not sure that she could be moved. RFC Thain transported EMS to the scene due to road conditions on the wood's roads. The elderly female was eventually found to be ambulatory and refused medical treatment. Long County Sheriff's Office began to find legal guardians for the juveniles and a care giver for the elderly woman. Game Wardens Scott and Thain transported EMS personnel and equipment back to their ambulance. \n55 \n \n The first Saturday in October is always CoastFest. This event has been held at the Coastal Regional Headquarters Campus in Brunswick for the past 23 years. This year, with the status of parking at Liberty Harbor, CoastFest was moved to Mary Ross Waterfront Park in downtown Brunswick. The crowd was estimated at 9,500 people. Below is Sgt. Damon Winters discussing information with the public. \nOn November 19th, 2018 Game Wardens Cassidy Gerstorff and Corporal John Evans investigated a complaint of possible night hunting near the city of Hoboken, in Brantley County. During the investigation the hunter's stand was found and the subject was identified by the complainant. While making contact at the subject's house it was found that the subject had killed several bucks over the last year and had taken three antlered bucks during the current season. Additionally, a cooler in the subject's yard was found to be full of meat from a doe deer. The head of the doe was found in the back of the subject's truck and the doe had not been checked in. The subject admitted to firing several shots after hours of darkness on the night of the hunting complaint. The subject was charged with hunting deer at night, taking over the limit of antlered deer, and not reporting the harvest of the doe. The antlers from the illegal deer were confiscated along with the doe and the cooler containing the meat. The meat was donated to a local processor to be given to a needy family . \n56 \n \n In December, Cpl. Kate Hargrove responded to capsized 56' Tugboat in Jekyll Creek. The crew was removed from vessel and transported to Jekyll Island. An investigation was initiated which involved LED, Coastal Resources Division, and United States Coast Guard's Marine Safety Unit. After a couple of weeks, the tugboat company had barges and cranes right the boat for salvage. \nIn December, after receiving information about two subjects who were taking deer illegally, Cpl. Randy Aspinwall seized seven racks as evidence and charged two subjects. As a result of the investigation, it was discovered that in addition to being over the limit, none were recorded and there were also multiple license violations. \n57 \n \n On the morning of Sunday, March 24, 2019 Game Warden Scott checked an area in Bryan County to see if anyone was hunting turkeys. Sgt. Scott found one vehicle and waited for the hunter or hunters to return to the truck. Two hunters came back to the vehicle and talked with Sgt. Scott about their morning. Opened bags of wild bird seed and sunflower seeds were found in the back of the truck. Sgt. Scott asked if there was any bird seed where the two hunters had set up and called for turkeys and the hunters were unsure stating that bird seed is hard to see. Game Warden Thain with K9 Case were called to the scene to see exactly where the hunters had been. Case tracked the hunters a very short distance and alerted at the area the hunters had set up with broken limbs for a makeshift blind, a trail camera, and bird seed along with old and new sunflower seeds. The two hunters were cited for hunting big game over bait. \nIn April, Region VII completed the two-day Open Water Survival training class in Kingsland. This course taught Game Wardens the importance of wearing life jackets, how to defend off offenders while in the water, and showed everyone their limitations while in full uniform in the water. \nOn Saturday April 20, 2019, Game Wardens Barry Britt, Kate Hargrove, Matt Tsiklistas and Cassidy Gerstorff assisted the Tybee Island Police Department with security and public safety on Tybee Beach. The additional patrols from DNR LED were in anticipation of possible activity from an event known as \"Orange Crush\". Since this event is not organized by any party working with the city of Tybee Island, it is difficult to pinpoint the weekend that will have the most activity. The event is often associated with the weekend of April 20th because 420 is associated with marijuana use. \n58 \n \n On Saturday May 11, 2019 Game Wardens Jack Thain and Phillip Scott followed up on a concern that an alligator was taken illegally in Hinesville. On Friday the 10th, DNR Game Management responded to a request to pick up an alligator that someone said was a concern. When the Game Management technician arrived there was no alligator, and no one that could explain the situation. This was unusual and the technician asked that Game Wardens check into the situation. When Game Wardens Thain and Scott investigated they found that the alligator was caught by the man after local law enforcement advised the man to call DNR. Instead the man decided to catch the alligator. After he caught the alligator, residents called DNR. The Hinesville Police Department also were called and told the man he could hold the alligator on scene until DNR arrived. The alligator wrangler did not wait but instead took the alligator to his residence. When asked what happened to the alligator, the man told the Game Wardens that someone came by and stole the alligator way from his yard. The man was cited for taking an alligator out of season. Below is a partial photo of the proud alligator wrangler that was discovered during the investigation. \nOn May 15th Game Warden Cassidy Gerstorff notified Sgt. Chris Ridley that he was out with a possible jumper on the Sidney Lanier bridge. Sergeants Mark Carson and Ridley proceeded to the bridge by boat and Captain Bob Lynn responded to Gerstorff's location on the bridge. As Gerstorff was talking with the subject, Lt. Meeks from the Glynn County School Police arrived to assist. Lt. Meeks and Gerstorff while talking, began slowly moving closer to the subject who was sitting on the outside rail. Lt. Meeks, who knew the subject, asked for his girlfriend's phone number. When the subject looked down at his phone, Gerstorff jumped, grabbing the subject by the legs and pulled him onto the roadway. Lt. Meeks and Gerstorff were then joined by Captain Lynn and a Brunswick PD officer who were able to handcuff the subject. The subject was transported to Southeast Regional Hospital for evaluation. Officer Gerstorff was honored by the DNR Board with a resolution during their June meeting. \n59 \n \n On Wednesday May 22, 2019 Game Wardens Douglas Chambers, Phillip Scott and K9 Case conducted inspections at the Savannah International Airport and at the Ga Port Authority on the Savannah River. These inspections were conducted along with NOAA Enforcement Officers Hughes and Dover as a part of DNR's Joint Enforcement Agreement. International items were checked for illegal wildlife. Below is a photo of Game Warden Thain with K9 Case checking containers and baggage for illegal wildlife at the Savannah International Airport. \nOn June 11th, 2019 Game Warden Cassidy Gerstorff received an anonymous tip about the location of a Marijuana growing operation in Brantley County. Game Warden Gerstorff shared the information with the Brantley County Sheriff's Office Investigative Unit. Brantley County and Game Warden Gerstorff performed a brief check of the property and 25 marijuana plants were found. A trail camera was placed on the property and within a few days a subject was identified from the pictures. On July 5th, Game Wardens Cassidy Gerstorff and Colt Shaske assisted the Brantley County Sheriff's Office with executing a search warrant on the subject's property. GW Shaske discovered a pallet of 281 small marijuana plants hidden in the wood line on the property. Additionally, the search warrant yielded a hidden room in the garage for drying marijuana, a hidden compartment in the house, 15 firearms, and nearly an ounce of dried marijuana. The subject was taken into custody at that time by the Brantley County SO. \nDuring the 2018 hunting season, Game Wardens in Region VII conducted numerous night hunting patrols. These patrols included catching 10 groups of night hunters, 17 people were cited with 37 citations and 9 warnings. \nDuring this year Region VII had excellent officers performing above and beyond expectations. Cpl. John Evans was the Region Ranger of the Year, Cpl. David Brad was the Region Boating Officer of the Year and Waterfowl Officer of the year, RFC Tim Morris was the Torch Award winner, Game Warden Jay Bright was the Region Investigator of the Year, and Cpl. Bobby White was NWTF officer of the year. \n60 \n \n Region VII had personnel changes throughout the year. Cpl. Jay Morgan retired with 36 years of service. RFC Mark Day retired with 28 years of service. We had two Game Warden Academies this year and received 4 new Game Wardens to the Region. Matt Tsiklistas was assigned Long County, Chandler Hamrick was assigned to Bryan/Liberty County, and Quintin Reed was assigned to Chatham County. Zach Griffis transferred into McIntosh County from Region IV. GW David Brady was promoted to Corporal. \nRegion VII is the only Region that assist the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by participating in a Joint Enforcement Agreement (JEA). Officers enforce Federal Fishing laws and regulations for NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement from 3 miles to 200 miles offshore of Georgia's Coast. The Joint Agreement #17 between Georgia DNR and NOAA office of Law Enforcement called for GADNR enforcement personnel to provide a total of 1,717 hours of marine law enforcement or related work under the agreement. Under this agreement, Georgia had 5 Execution Priorities. Execution Priority 1 was Endangered Species Act. There were 383man hours and 144 hours of at-sea vessel patrol hours dedicated to this priority and there were 36 hours of Aircraft flight hours and 36 hours of Aircraft personnel hours. These patrols were checking Shrimp Trawlers for TED and net compliance. Execution Priority 2 was dedicated to Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. There were 445-man hours and 165 hours of at-sea vessel patrols dedicated to priority 2. These patrols were to check Red Snapper compliance and any other violation dealing with Snapper/Grouper and HMS species. Execution Priority 3 was National Marine Sanctuaries Act. There were 240-man hours and 80 hours of at-sea vessel patrols dedicated to Priority 3. Execution Priority 4 was Lacey Act/International (IUU). There were 28 personnel hours dedicated to IUU enforcement. These patrols were assisting NOAA Enforcement Officers with inspection of containers at the Georgia Ports. Execution Priority 5 was Marine Mammal Protection Act. There were 120-man hours and 40 at-sea vessel hours dedicated to Marine Mammal Protection. These patrols were during the months of November to March and were specifically targeting Right Whale enforcement. \nGame Wardens detected 24 Federal Fisheries violations including over the limit of fish, possession of illegal species, illegal nets, and Turtle Excluder Device (TED) violations. 13 of these violations were case referrals to NOAA Office of Law Enforcement. These documented violations were turned over to NOAA for prosecution. \n61 \n \n Investigative Unit \nThe Investigative Unit (IU) is comprised of two full-time investigators and one Intelligence Analyst. The IU is responsible for undercover investigations, administration of the Critical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT), the Marine Theft Unit (MTU), as well as investigation assistance to the Special Permit Unit (SPU). The primary function of the Investigative Unit is to provide field Game Wardens with investigative support. The Investigative Unit is able to fulfill this mission with the support of 13 Game Wardens that perform a collateral duty called \"Regional Investigator.\" Regional Investigators assist the IU with overt and covert investigations. The IU also serves the field as a central point of contact for information sharing on a statewide level. Since last year, the Investigative Unit significantly expanded its support capabilities with the addition of an Intelligence Analyst, gaining access to multiple intelligence databases, and through extensive use of new technologies such as ZetX. This past year, three investigators completed the ZetX 40Hour Advanced Cellular Investigations Training. This technology is requested and used daily not only by Georgia Game Wardens but also by state prosecutors, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and countless police and sheriff's departments. Through this assistance, the Investigative Unit and the Department have strengthened working relationships with other law enforcement agencies throughout the state, benefiting Georgia law enforcement and more importantly, the citizens we serve. \nUndercover Investigations The Investigative Unit is responsible for undercover investigations which are used when traditional enforcement methods would be problematic or unsuccessful. The Regional Investigators are fulltime Game Wardens who have received training in undercover operations and specialized equipment and are used throughout the state as needed. \nLast year, the Investigative Unit conducted and managed 285 investigations and calls for assistance from the field and from other agencies (both in and out-of-state). These investigations were comprised of intelligence gathering, buy/bust, and both short and long-term investigations. The focus of many of these investigations included the sale or possession of wildlife and wild animals. These violations are difficult to address without the aid of undercover officers. \nCritical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT) Georgia has 15 CIRT investigators assigned throughout the state. CIRT investigates fatality and serious injury boating, hunting and state park incidents. Each investigator receives specialized training on investigating and presenting these cases. Last year, CIRT was activated to investigate four boating incidents. These incidents resulted in one fatality. \nMarine Theft Unit (MTU) The primary function of the MTU is to assist law enforcement officers in the field. The MTU conducts computer database and offline searches, hidden hull identification number location assistance, and assists with locating and recovering stolen vessels. The MTU also serves as the point of contact for customers as well as court systems related to the abandoned vessel process. Last year, the MTU received 47 abandoned vessel/stolen boat requests from the public and fielded numerous phone calls related to the abandoned vessel process. \n62 \n \n Special Permits Unit \nThe Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division Special Permits Unit is responsible for permitting captive wildlife and wild animals in addition to some specialty-take permits such as Scientific Collection Permits. The Unit also coordinates inspections on all permitted wild animal facilities throughout the state. This past year, the Special Permits unit issued 2,087 permits. \nK-9 Unit \nThe Division continues to use K-9s to enhance patrol efforts by Game Wardens and provide assistance to other agencies for man tracking and article searches. The K-9 Unit played a part in numerous cases during the year. Also, in 2019 the handlers' uniforms were changed to all olive drab in order to better suit their needs. Georgia currently has seven K-9/Handler teams across the state. \nFY2019 K-9/Handler Teams \nSgt. Jeremy Bolen and K-9 Ruger Cpl. Brooks Varnell and K-9 Taz Cpl. Tim Hutto and K-9 Titan GWFC Eric Isom and K-9 Colt Cpl. Greg Wade and K-9 Trigg GWFC Keith Page and K-9 Rio GWFC Jack Thain and K-9 Case \n63 \n \n Training Unit \nIn early 2019, the Division hired 25 new Game Warden cadets and one Game Warden pilot. Revenue generated as a result of the passing of HB 208 in 2017, which increased hunting, fishing, and recreational license fees, provided salary and benefit funding, as well as a full complement of equipment for 13 of the new hires. This funding will also provide money for additional personnel, equipment and operational costs in the future. The 33rd Game Warden Academy began on January 6th at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center. During the 23-week academy, the cadets completed Basic Peace Officer Certification as well as the Advanced Game Warden Academy which totaled 935 hours of training. The Academy includes 80 hours of NASBLA BOAT training for BCM (Boat Crew Member) and BOSAR (Boat Operator Search and Rescue). The Division's in-house NASBLA certified instructors delivered these comprehensive courses at Lake Walter F. George. Officer Water Survival training was also taught within the 33rd Game Warden Academy. Cadets spent approximately 40 hours in the pool learning essential water survival skills. The course involved self-rescue, survival swimming, and tactics for surviving physical and armed confrontations in the water. Training was conducted in full duty uniform and body armor, while wearing weighted gun belts. \nNineteen Game Warden Cadets graduated from the 33rd Game Warden Academy on June 14th. They are currently in the process of completing the Division's field training program in their assigned counties throughout the state. \n64 \n \n During the year, in-service training for all Game Wardens statewide included NASBLA Seated Battery and a Standardized Field Sobriety refresher, Police Legitimacy and Procedural Justice, Deescalation, Use-of-Force, Firearms training/re-qualification, and Policy/Legislative Updates. Game Wardens also underwent statewide Officer Water Survival Training. This 16-hour course was the result of the pilot program that was implemented during the 33rd Game Warden Academy and involved the same training that the cadets of the 33rd completed during the academy. Eight Game Wardens participated in Swift Water Boat Operations training on the Chattahoochee River in Zodiac swift water rescue vessels that were issued to selected personnel last year. Instructors from the Whitewater Rescue Institute in Missoula, Montana were brought in to train the Game Wardens in the operation of swift water rescue vessels in areas of white water in the Chattahoochee River south of West Point Dam. \nDuring 2019, the Division's firearms training staff was tasked with researching and selecting a new duty handgun. After testing several models, the decision was made to transition from the current Glock Gen4 model 22, .40 caliber pistol to the Glock model 45, 9mm pistol. The pistol was issued to Game Wardens in the field statewide in early October. Each Game Warden is now issued the Glock Models 45 and 43 9mm handguns, the Daniel Defense DDM4 5.56 Tactical Rifle and the Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun. The first two Phases of X2 TASER deployment were completed during 2019. Seventy-three Game Wardens were trained and have been issued X2 TASER units for use in the field. The deployment of TASERs concentrated on field level Game Wardens under the rank of Lieutenant and will continue until all field personnel are trained and equipped. \n65 \n \n A committee was also formed to explore and research possible changes to the Game Warden hiring and selection process. The goal of the committee was to recommend changes that would increase the number, quality and diversity of candidates for the position of Game Warden. Recommendations were made to exempt honorably discharged veterans, with a minimum of four years of active duty military service, from the current minimum educational requirement of an Associate Degree or 60 Semester/90 Quarter hours of completed college credit. The committee also recommended a restructuring of the current pre-employment physical agility tests. The recommendations included combining the two  mile runs in to one 1.5-mile run, and the addition of a push-up and sit-up event. The recommendation was made to modify the current swim event by replacing the 50-yard fully clothed swim with a 20-meter swim assessment. This assessment was determined by the Division's water survival instructors to be sufficient in determining the minimum amount entry level ability necessary for a cadet to enter the water survival training program. Cadets will then be required to complete the academy swim and Officer Water Survival training programs \n66 \n \n Aviation Unit \nL-R: Larry Rogers, Capt. Steven Turner, Maj. Doc Watson, Capt. Ed Watkins, John Peberdy Not pictured: Lt. Robert Steht \nThe LED Aviation Support Unit supports all DNR Divisions and other state agencies utilizing two Bell 407 helicopters, one Bell L4 and a fixed wing Quest Kodiak 100 airplane. The Aviation Unit flew 588 hours in support of the Division's Game Wardens as they conducted their core mission of protecting the states waterways and woodland areas. This consisted of flying support throughout the hunting season from early fall through early spring. Game Wardens were flown on county surveys looking for baited food plots, duck ponds and illegal shrimping along the Georgia coast. Flight support was also provided for Operation Dry Water, night deer poaching/spotlighting patrols, and searches for missing person and drowning victims across the state. Additionally, the Aviation Unit flew 50 hours over a four-day period providing support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Natural Resources and multiple local agencies after Hurricane Michael devastated Southwest Georgia in October 2018. The Wildlife Resource Division (WRD) was provided aviation support during surveys of Bald Eagles, Kestrel, Sandhill Cranes and waterfowl. Captain Ed Watkins flew these same flights along the Georgia coast in addition to surveys for sea turtles, dolphins and the tagging of manatee. Thirty-eight hours assisting with prescribed burns on the State WMA's were also flown during the late winter months of January through March 2018. \n67 \n \n The Aerial Observer program has proven to be very successful. The additional trained aerial crewmembers in northern Georgia have expedited the response time for search and rescue (SAR) requests. This past year the Aviation Unit trained to insert a Game Warden from the aircraft, via rappel technique, into rugged and remote locations. This training was placed into service when responding to a request for assistance for a SAR in the Cohutta Wilderness Area in Fannin County. SGT James Keener and Aerial Observer GWFC Roger McConkey executed the unit's first rappel operation in May 2019, rescuing an injured hiker who was located several miles from any motorized access and assistance. The Aviation Unit conducted five other successful long line rescues and flew 98 hours for search and rescue (SAR), drownings and missing person missions with aerial observers. \nThe TASE 500 camera system equipped Kodiak Quest fixed-wing aircraft, with trained camera operators has greatly enhanced the Aviation Unit's capability to support Game Wardens in conducting their primary mission of protecting the states waterways and woodland areas. This capability was evident in the increased apprehension of illegal night poachers throughout the state this past year. The Unit was very fortunate at years' end receiving funding for a new Bell 407. This 407 will replace the 23-year-old Bell L-4; increasing our capabilities while decreasing training and maintenance costs for the Division, while increasing safety. \n68 \n \n Honor Guard \nHonor Guard Members Region 1  Sgt. Brooks Varnell, Cpl. Cody Jones Region 2  Sgt. Derek Dillard (Commander), GW Jeffery Turner Region 3  Cpl. Ben Payne, GWFC Dan Schay Region 4  Sgt. Travis Sweat, Sgt. Jeremy Bolen Region 5  Capt. Bob Holley (training center), Cpl. Scott Carroll Region 6  Cpl. Chase Altman, GWFC Clint Jarriel Region 7  Sgt. David Brady, Cpl. Keil Toney Honor Guard Details \n July 9-11, 2018  Annual honor guard training for all members at the GPSTC in Forsyth, Georgia. \n August 18, 2018  Funeral detail for retired Game Warden Ronnie Thomaston in Warrenton, Georgia where honor guard member Cpl. Kiel Toney presented a flag to the family. \n August 19, 2018  Presentation of Colors by Game Wardens Cpl. Kiel Toney, Cpl. Chase Altman, Cpl. David Brady and GWFC Clint Jarriel at the annual DNR LED Awards Banquet in Savannah, Georgia. \n October 19, 2018  Presentation of Colors and honor guard detail for the 32 Game Warden Academy Graduation Ceremony at the GPSCT in Forsyth, Georgia. Game Wardens Sgt. Derek Dillard, Sgt. Brooks Varnell, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Cody Jones, Cpl. Kiel Toney, Cpl. Ben Payne, Cpl. David Brady, GWFC Clint Jarriel and GWFC Dan Schay participated in the ceremony. \n69 \n \n  October 24, 2018  Funeral detail for Gwinnett County P.D. Officer Antwan Toney in Lawrenceville, Georgia where honor guard member GWFC Chris Kernahan was in attendance to represent Georgia DNR. \n December 18, 2018  Funeral detail for DeKalb County P.D. Officer Edgar Flores in Dunwoody, Georgia where honor guard member GWFC Chris Kernahan was in attendance to represent Georgia DNR. \n December 29, 2018  Visitation and funeral detail for retired Game Warden Corporal Jimmy Williams in Alma, Georgia. Game Wardens Cpl. Kiel Toney, Cpl. Chase Altman and GWFC Clint Jarriel participated at the visitation and then folded and presented the flag to the family. \n January 7-8, 2019  Annual honor guard training for all members at the GPSTC in Forsyth, Georgia. \n April 12, 2019  Visitation and funeral detail for Park Ranger Ron Shepard in Calhoun, Georgia. Game Wardens Sgt. Derek Dillard and GWFC Chris Kernahan participated at the visitation and attended the funeral. \n May 17, 2019  Presentation of Colors for the Blue Star Dedication Ceremony at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center by Game Wardens Sgt. Derek Dillard, Sgt. Jeremy Bolen, Cpl. Scott Carroll and Cpl. Cody Jones. \n May 20, 2019  Represented the Georgia DNR LED at the Peace Officer Memorial Detail at the GPSTC in Forsyth, Georgia by Game Wardens Cpl. Ben Payne and GWFC Dan Schay. \n June 14, 2019  Presentation of Colors and at participated in the 33rd Game Warden Academy Graduation Ceremony at the GPSTC in Forsyth, Georgia. Sgt. Derek Dillard, Sgt. Travis Sweat, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Chase Altman, Cpl. Kiel Toney, Cpl. Cody Jones, Cpl. David Brady and GWFC Dan Schay participated in the ceremony. \n June 29, 2019  Funeral detail for retired Game Warden Malcomb \"Mike\" Brooks in Folkston, Georgia. Game Wardens Cpl. Chase Altman and GWFC Clint Jarriel presented a flag to the family. \n70 \n \n Chaplains \nL-R: Charles Houston, Jr., Joel Vinson, Chip Strickland, Daryl Brown, Tac Coley, Marc Crandlemire, Rudy Ross, Brandon Brooks Not Pictured: Gregory Loskoski, John Haney, Randy Lamb \nThe 11 members of the DNR Law Enforcement Division Chaplain Corps currently serve four of the state's seven Regions. The DNR Chaplains are non-sworn volunteers who support the mission of DNR in providing a source of strength to sworn and non-sworn members of the Agency, their families, and the community. The program supports employees in the handling of crisis situations, comforts victims and their families when incidents occur, and provides counseling and other ministerial functions that may be needed. \n71 \n \n Promotions: \nRFC 1 Randell Meeks RFC 1 Bethany Gilbert Cpt. Robert Holley Sgt. Travis Sweat Cpl. Quinn Fogel Sgt. Tony Cox Ranger 2 Carla Gann Ranger 2 Tyler Lewis Ranger 2 Garrett Pownall Ranger 2 Wil Smith Ranger 2 Jeff Turner Ranger 2 Chris Adkins Ranger 2 Noah Osborne Ranger 2 Jerry Paulk Ranger 2 John Rhodes Ranger 2 Jason Bennett Ranger 2 Calvin Gibson Ranger 2 Kevin Hurley Ranger 2 Ryan Cleveland Ranger 2 Logan South Ranger 2 Philip Stout Ranger 2 Cameron Dyal Ranger 2 Thomas Sibley Ranger 2 Cassidy Gerstorff Cpl. Keith Page Major Mike England RFC 1 Doug Chambers Cpl. Kevin Godbee Ranger 2 Ryan Shorter Ranger 2 Caleb Thomson Ranger 2 Zach Griffis Ranger 2 Steven Martinez Ranger 2 Taylor Brown Ranger 2 Kristie Carpenter Ranger 2 Brock Hoyt Ranger 2 Bryan Price Ranger 2 John Kennedy Ranger 2 Ben Reese Ranger 2 Johnny Robinette Ranger 2 John Tsiklistas Lt. Chad Welch Cpl. Steve Thomas Cpl. David Brady Cpl. Tim Butler Cpl. Ricky Boles Lt. Colonel Johnny Johnson \n \nRetirements: \nColonel Eddie Henderson RFC2 Mitchell Crump Cpl. Eric Sanders Cpl. Julian Wilkins RFC2 Ronnie Beard Cpl. Jay Morgan RFC2 Freddie Hays RFC1 Mark Day Sgt. Jon Barnard Cpl. John Stokes Captain Ed Watkins Major Doc Watson Lt. Colonel Jeff Weaver Captain Jeff Galloway \n72 \n \nActivity Summary \nHunter Ed Programs I\u0026E Programs Boating Safety Programs Hunter Development \n \nFY2019 122 \n1,223 \n182 56 \n \nTotal Programs \nWater SAR Cases Water SAR Hours Vessels Assisted Water Persons Asst. \n \n1,583 \n214 3,783 \n214 505 \n \nLand SAR Cases Land SAR Hours Land Persons Asst. \n \n154 1,463 \n295 \n \nHunting Incidents \n \n41 \n \nBoating Incidents \n \n104 \n \nDrownings \n \n53 \n \nHunting License Checks Fishing License Checks Comm. License Checks \n \n15,050 34,955 \n501 \n \nTotal License Checks 50,506 \n \nBoat Checks \n \n24,056 \n \nBoating Contacts Hunting Contacts Fishing Contacts Trapping Contacts Environmental Contacts Other Contacts \n \n5,538 5,305 3,544 \n44 \n471 5,079 \n \nTotal Contacts \n \n19,981 \n \n 73 \n \n \"Support Georgia Game Wardens with the purchase of a specialty license plate for your hunting vehicle. I did\" \nMichael Waddell Bone Collector The Outdoor Channel \nwww.gadnrle.org/dnr-law-enfo7r4 cement-specialty-license-plate \n \n "},{"id":"dlg_ggpd_y-ga-bn200-pl3-bs1-bl3-b2018-belec-p-btext","title":"Law Enforcement Division FY 2018 annual report","collection_id":"dlg_ggpd","collection_title":"Georgia Government Publications","dcterms_contributor":null,"dcterms_spatial":["United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018"],"dcterms_creator":["Georgia. Department of Natural Resources. Law Enforcement Division"],"dc_date":["2018"],"dcterms_description":["This pulbication is the annual report for the Law Enforcement Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources."],"dc_format":["application/pdf"],"dcterms_identifier":null,"dcterms_language":["eng"],"dcterms_publisher":["Social Circle, Ga. : Georgia. Department of Natural Resources. Law Enforcement Division"],"dc_relation":null,"dc_right":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dcterms_is_part_of":null,"dcterms_subject":["Georgia. Department of Natural Resources. Law Enforcement Division--Periodicals","Wildlife management--Law and legislation--Georgia--Periodicals","Recreation areas--Georgia--Periodicals"],"dcterms_title":["Law Enforcement Division FY 2018 annual report"],"dcterms_type":["Text"],"dcterms_provenance":["University of Georgia. Map and Government Information Library"],"edm_is_shown_by":["https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:dlg_ggpd_y-ga-bn200-pl3-bs1-bl3-b2018-belec-p-btext"],"edm_is_shown_at":["https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:dlg_ggpd_y-ga-bn200-pl3-bs1-bl3-b2018-belec-p-btext"],"dcterms_temporal":null,"dcterms_rights_holder":null,"dcterms_bibliographic_citation":null,"dlg_local_right":null,"dcterms_medium":["annual reports"],"dcterms_extent":null,"dlg_subject_personal":null,"iiif_manifest_url_ss":null,"dcterms_subject_fast":null,"fulltext":"Commissioner Mark Williams \n \nDirector Colonel Eddie \nHenderson \n \n0 \n \n Headquarters \n \nColonel Eddie Henderson, Director \n \nLt. Colonel Jeff Weaver, Assistant Director \n \nMajor Stephen Adams \n \nMajor Thomas Barnard \n \n1 \n \n Headquarters Support Staff \n \nLt. Wayne Hubbard \n \nLt. Wanda Roberts \n \nLt. Judd Smith \n \nJen Hammonds \n \nJamie Hawkins \n \nLinda Mayo \n \nMark McKinnon \n \nTaye Pierce \n \nKathy Plumley \n \nSharon Sims \n \nShannon Witcher \n2 \n \n The Vision of the Law Enforcement Division is to ensure that Georgia's natural resources will be conserved for our present and future generations. \nThe Mission of the Law Enforcement Division is to conserve our natural resources and to protect the people we serve. We maintain public support through fair and vigorous law enforcement, quality education, and community involvement. We commit ourselves to our Vision and Mission by practicing our core beliefs, which are trust, fairness and professionalism. \nHeadquarters \nThe Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division, currently has 213 POST-certified Game Wardens with statewide authority and full arrest powers and 30 non-sworn staff members. The primary duties of these Game Wardens are enforcement of all laws and regulations pertaining to hunting, fishing, commercial fishing, environmental violations, and recreational boating, as well as to provide public safety on all our DNRcontrolled properties. The Law Enforcement Division operates with a straight-line chain of command. It consists of the Colonel, Lt. Colonel, three Majors (field operations, special operations and aviation), seven Region Supervisors (Captains), a \"specialty\" Captain (investigations), two pilot Captains, four Lieutenants (database management, training, special permits/captive wildlife and wild animals, and administrative support), and 185 field Game Wardens (Sergeants, Corporals, Game Wardens First Class, and Game Wardens). \n3 \n \n Vehicles \u0026 Equipment Throughout the year, the Law Enforcement Division acquired some new vehicles and equipment, utilizing funding from various sources. Vehicles obtained included a new Bell 407 GX helicopter, a 38-foot coastal patrol boat, a mobile command vehicle, 20 4x4 patrol vehicles, 19 patrol boats, 22 kayaks, 27 ATVs, three swift water rescue boats with motors and trailers and a new enclosed trailer for statewide disaster response. New equipment included 74 sets of night vision goggles and smart phones for all field personnel. The smart phones have already proved to be a valuable asset for Game Wardens in the field, allowing increased communication with customers and partners as well as the ability to check license status of hunters and anglers while away from the patrol vehicle. \nGILEE Captain Mike England participated in the 25th Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE) program to Israel. This two-week training session, coordinated through Georgia State University, focuses on sharing homeland security techniques as well as the benefits and limitations of a national police system. During the program, 19 Law Enforcement Executives from Georgia, one from Alabama, and one from Tennessee were briefed at multiple venues in the state of Israel. \nRanger Hotline The Ranger Hotline program, which provides a way for citizens to report anonymously potentially illegal wildlife and other conservation law violations, continues to be successful. If the information leads to an arrest, the tipster receives a cash reward funded by the Georgia Natural Resource Foundation, whose mission is to protect wildlife by increasing public support for wildlife law enforcement. Last year, 25 tips were received by email for various violations. \nLED License Plate During the year, the Division reached the required 1,000 presales of the GA DNR Law Enforcement license plate that was designed by one of the Game Wardens in the Coastal Region. The license plate is sold to citizens for an additional fee and part of the revenue generated from the sale of the plates will go to DNR Law Enforcement for operational costs. \n4 \n \n Guy Bradley Award In March of 2018, at the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) presented Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Colonel Eddie Henderson with the prestigious Guy Bradley Award for his lifetime contributions to wildlife law enforcement. The award is only presented to one state and one federal recipient each year. \nOTHER SPECIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUES \nHurricane Irma In September of 2017, Game Wardens responded to Hurricane Irma on the Georgia Coast and provided first responder operations, debris clearing with chain saws, damage assessment, search and rescue and security roles. Due to the path of the storm, Game Wardens in all areas of the state were called into action and the Division logged 10,188 man hours during the week-long event. \nJEA Patrols The 16th Joint Enforcement Agreement between Georgia DNR and the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement called for GA DNR Game Wardens to provide a total of 2,309 hours of marine law enforcement or related work during the year. There were 985 at-sea personnel hours and 405 vessel hours, 173 man hours for dockside inspections, 41 aircraft hours and 41 aircraft personnel hours. Additionally, Georgia had three Execution Priorities. Execution Priority 1 was Turtle Excluder Device (TED) Enforcement. There were 192 man hours and 64 at-sea offshore large vessel patrol hours dedicated to this priority. Execution Priority 2 was dedicated to Red Snapper Patrols. There were 168 man hours and 56 at-sea large vessel patrols dedicated to Priority 2. Priority 3 was IUU enforcement in which 64 man hours were dedicated. These patrols consisted of assisting NOAA Enforcement Officers with inspection of containers at the Georgia Ports. Throughout the year, Game Wardens detected a number of Federal Fisheries violations including over the limit of fish, possession of illegal species, illegal nets, and Turtle Excluder Device (TED) violations. These documented violations were turned over to NOAA for prosecution or handled in the local courts. \nTASER The Division received approval to move forward with a pilot project to deploy TASERs to 40 officers statewide. A policy has been developed and instructors are being identified to roll this program out. One Game Warden per work section at the rank of Field Sgt. or below, and some instructors will be issued a TASER once the equipment is secured and training is completed. \nDNR Re-Organization Period Completed The Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division completed the five-year transition that consolidated all Law Enforcement functions under the umbrella of the Law Enforcement Division, to include State Parks enforcement. In 2013, the Board of Natural Resources approved the internal reorganization of its operational Divisions that elevated the Law Enforcement Section to Division status, removing it as a sub-program in the Wildlife \n5 \n \n Resources Division. The changes to the DNR structure were made to more accurately reflect the working structure of the department, streamline operations, clarify chain of command, standardize training, equipment and operational guidance for law enforcement services and to reduce liability. \nPublic Affairs Media Relations and Public Outreach The Division conducted media news conferences and ride-alongs with Game Wardens for the start of the boating and hunting seasons, \"Operation Dry Water,\" and the July 4th Holiday weekend to promote safe boating and swimming safety and to educate citizens on boating laws and how they are applied. Prior to boating season, in late May, LED partnered with the Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) and the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) to encourage safety on the waterways and highways throughout the summer. The 2018 campaign theme was \"Make Your Summer Click,\" making reference to the clicking sound made by life jacket buckles and seat belts. News releases, I \u0026 E presentations and speeches to various civic groups, and regular news media interviews and interaction were utilized throughout the year to disseminate information to the public. \nSPLASH The Division continued moving forward with the multi-agency water safety initiative, SPLASH. Along with Georgia's First Lady Sandra Deal and a number of federal, state, and private partners, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Georgia Department of Public Health and Georgia Power, the aggressive anti-drowning campaign encourages citizens to follow these tips when enjoying beaches, pools, lakes, rivers and other bodies of water. The partners meet every 4-6 weeks to share promotional ideas and discuss implementation. Ten meetings have been held so far. SPLASH is an acronym used to encourage safety around the water. \n Supervision  Designate an adult to watch children at all times. Do not assume someone else is watching. \n Prevention  Wear personal flotation devices (PFD or life jacket), install fencing around pools, and use drain covers in hot tubs and pools. \n Life Jackets/Look before you leap Always wear a life jacket and never jump into water without knowing how deep it is and what is below the surface. \n Arm's Length  Adults should be arm's length to children in water, and life jackets and throwable flotation devices should be nearby at all times. \n Swim Lessons  Knowing how to swim greatly reduces the chance of drowning.  Have a Water Safety Plan  Know what to do during an emergency. \nDuring the year, the campaign distributed nearly 20,000 bilingual brochures, provided public service announcements to local radio stations, increased social media messaging, stenciled painted safety messages on boat ramps and places \"Wear It Georgia\" signs at numerous facilities on the state's waterways. Currently, the Department is in the process of adding 250 life jacket loaner boards at public boat ramps and state parks statewide, with these locations now included on the Georgia Outdoors app. \n6 \n \n Social Media LED manages a Facebook page that currently has over 50,000 page \"Likes\" (people who regularly view the page). Many of LED's Facebook posts have a \"Reach\" (number of people who may see the post through their friends who \"Like\" the page) that exceeds 40,000, and occasionally, some are above 100,000. The Division also has a Twitter account that is linked to Facebook, which currently has nearly 1,250 followers, a YouTube Channel with multiple safety-related videos, and an Instagram account approaching 5,000 followers. \"Off the Pavement\" Awards Banquet In August 2017, the LED's Command Staff was joined by the Georgia DNR Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and Board Members at the Fourth Annual \"Off the Pavement\" Awards Banquet in Savannah. The event highlighted the outstanding efforts of Game Wardens from across the state who had received a number of awards throughout the year. At the end of the evening, Cpl. Brian Adams from the east central Georgia Region was named as the Division's 2017 Game Warden of the Year. \n2016 Game Warden of the Year Cpl. Eddie Tompkins pins the one-of-a-kind badge on the 2017 winner, Cpl. Brian Adams. \n2017 Game Warden of the Year, Cpl. Brian Adams receives his award. \n7 \n \n Statewide Awards \nGame Warden of the Year \nCpl. Brian Adams is a Game Warden who is dedicated to public outreach and education, and solid enforcement efforts. Assigned to Glascock County, Cpl. Adams also covers Warren, Taliaferro and McDuffie counties. Education for young people is high on his priority list. One of his very impressive educational efforts is with Glascock County Public Schools, where he convinced school officials to adjust the curriculum to include Hunter Ed for all 9th grade students and Boater Ed for all 8th grade students, ensuring that every student can be certified in both before graduation. He also gained approval to launch a Shooting Sports program at Glascock County High School and volunteered his property for team practices. This year Brian organized his 12th Annual Glascock County Kids Fishing Event, which allows every student in Pre-K through 5th grade an opportunity to spend a day fishing. His enforcement numbers are strong with 209 hunting license checks, 162 fishing license checks, 210 vessel inspections, 25 WMA patrols, 22 State Park patrols and 12 PFA patrols. He issued 111 citations, 43 warnings and tallied 84 assists. Brian is also a proven investigator and initiated four lengthy investigations this year that resulted in 89 violator contacts and the seizure of 14 vehicles, over $30,000 in cash, 22 firearms, and illicit drugs with a street value of over $310,000. \nJames R. Darnell Award \nCpl. Jason Shipes has proven himself as a dedicated Game Warden with his exceptional efforts during the past year. Cpl. Shipes is wellversed in computer and electronics investigations and has been active in training and discussing new ways of conducting investigations, emerging intelligence gathering trends such as social media investigations, and information sharing within the Division and with other LE agencies. Jason has collateral duties as an original member of the Counter Terrorism Task Force and is currently Delta Team leader. His knowledge and skills in radio programming have been a valuable asset and were tested as Hurricane Matthew hit the Georgia coast in 2016. During the storm, he met officers in the field and programmed their radios with frequencies needed to communicate with local agencies. Jason places great value in training young people in hunting safety. Last October, he assisted with the annual Georgia Sheriff's Youth Home deer hunt near Fargo, purchasing hunting licenses for participating youth hunters out of his pocket as he has done for a number of years. Jason has also been instrumental in planning and ensuring the success of his work unit's annual bear hunting enforcement details. His knowledge of southern bear hunting enforcement has led him to instruct bear hunting enforcement at Advanced Game Warden School a few years ago. During the past year, Cpl. Shipes recorded 19 violations for hunting deer at night and recorded 27 violator contacts for deer dogging and hunting without permission. According to his supervisor and those who work with him on a regular basis, Jason exemplifies exactly what a Game Warden is and should be. \n8 \n \n Game Warden of the Year Nominees \n \nRegion I- Cpl. Bart Hendrix Region II- GWFC Joe Hill Region III- Cpl. Brian Adams Region IV- Cpl. Lynn \"Bubba\" Stanford \n \nRegion V- GWFC Quinn Fogle Region VI- Cpl. Jason Shipes Region VII- GWFC David Brady \n \nSupervisor of the Year \nSgt. Lee Brown  Region II \nSgt. Lee Brown is the recipient of the 2016 Supervisor of the Year Award. Sgt. Brown is a 22-year veteran of the Law Enforcement Division and has served as Sgt. since 2006. Sgt. Brown currently supervises one of the most diverse and busiest areas in the state. His work section, which includes Gwinnett, DeKalb, Forsyth, Rockdale, Dawson, and Lumpkin counties, serves approximately two million Georgia residents. Lee is also a supervisor on Lake Sidney Lanier, one of the busiest lakes in the nation. His work unit also covers three state parks - Panola Mountain, Stone Mountain and Amicalola Falls - and two WMAs - Dawson Forest and Chestatee. As well as nearly 67,000 acres of US Forest Service land. Sgt. Brown exemplifies the qualities of a true leader, always leading from the front. He is a team player, tirelessly promoting the division and building relationships with other agencies. The evidence of his leadership ability lies in the successes of the members of his work unit who, collectively, have taken nine statewide and region awards just within the last three years, including the 2016 State Ranger of the Year and the 2016 State Boating Safety Officer of the Year. Congratulations to Sgt. Lee Brown, the 2016 Supervisor of the Year. \n \nNWTF Officer of the Year \nCpl. Ben Payne  Region III \nCpl. Ben Payne is the 2016 National Wild Turkey Federation Officer of the Year. Cpl. Payne's dedication to the protection of of Georgia's Wild Turkeys is evident in his drive and persistence in protecting the species and promoting the sport of turkey hunting. He spent 113 hours on foot and on ATV patrols in a four county area throughout the season, focusing his attention on private property, but also conducting 33 turkey patrols on state WMA's checking hunters and locating violations. He assisted 17 landowners with hunting and habitat questions and worked 12 complaints, logging 47 hours with many resulting in poachers being apprehended. Ben made contact with 37 hunters which produced 10 cases, 6 warnings and 22 assists to other officers. He made eight cases for hunting turkey over bait and seven for license violations. Always striving to practice fairness and professionalism, he also gave verbal guidance to eight hunters who had some license issues and was able to resolve the problems without making cases against them. Congratulations to Cpl. Ben Payne, the 2016 National Wild Turkey Federation Officer of the Year. \n \n9 \n \n Investigative Game Warden of the Year \nCpl. Jason Shipes - Region VI \nCpl. Jason Shipes is the 2016 Investigative Ranger of the Year. Cpl. Shipes began an investigation in 2016 after receiving a tip from a citizen about members of a Clinch County hunting club who had killed more than the legal limit of deer. He quickly learned that they were posting pictures and comments of their poaching activities on their personal Facebook pages. He obtained search warrants for the Facebook accounts, ultimately leading him to large amounts of evidence. Since the poachers were all Florida residents, Jason worked closely with the Florida Fish \u0026 Wildlife Conservation Commission in order to obtain further evidence in building his case. After thoroughly examining thousands of Facebook posts and other evidence, all four primary subjects were cited for a total of 17 separate violations. After seeing the volume of indisputable evidence against them, most of it from their own Facebook posts, all four defendants chose plea agreements and paid nearly $4,000 in fines. Jason's investigative skills have achieved nationwide recognition through at least two recent publications: International Game Warden magazine and International Wildlife Crime-Stoppers newsletter. Congratulations to Cpl. Jason Shipes, the 2016 Investigative Officer of the Year. \nGeorgia Boating Officer of the Year \nCpl. Barton Hendrix  Region I \nCpl. Bart Hendrix is the 2016 Boating Officer of the Year. Cpl. Hendrix is assigned to Cherokee County and routinely works Allatoona Lake in Region I. Bart has the special skill set, knowledge of boating safety laws, and the commitment to serving the public required to work on such a busy lake. He routinely works boat incidents and drownings and has been involved in 11 such cases this year. One attribute that sets Bart apart is his compassion. In one case, he was called to a scene in which a victim had drowned in front of his wife and three children. Bart took the family away from the scene, bought their lunch, and spent the entire day with them, providing comfort and assurance to them in their time of despair. Later in the year, he arranged for the work section to buy the children their school supplies and he delivered them. Cpl. Hendrix dedicated 616 hours to boating enforcement around the areas of Allatoona Lake and the Etowah River, conducting 43 water patrols and 226 hours on the water. He checked 288 boats and assisted in 150 others. His patrol efforts resulted in five arrests for BUI, three VGCSA, and numerous other boating violations. Additionally, he worked five reportable boat incidents and was involved in six drowning investigations. Last year, Bart presented 27 boating safety I\u0026E programs and two boat education classes. Congratulations to Cpl. Bart Hendrix, the 2016 Georgia Boating Officer of the Year. \n10 \n \n The Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award \nGame Warden First Class Quinn Fogle  Region V \nGame Warden First Class Quinn Fogle is the 2017 Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award recipient. GWFC Fogle is a four-year veteran and is a validated leader in his work unit and Region. He places a strong emphasis on waterfowl enforcement and recognizes the importance and significance of educating youth and developing community trust and involvement. Quinn's patrol area includes eight rural counties and covers roughly 2,600 square miles of habitat along the Chattahoochee River Basin, including the 46,000-acre Lake Walter F. George, a major travel corridor for migrating waterfowl. His knowledge of waterfowl species, their habitat, and the changing regulations and limits, has led to his waterfowl enforcement success. He documented the most waterfowl related violations and confiscations in Region V this season - 21 cases, 36 warnings, and 13 violation assists. These violations included hunting over bait, hunting with illegal ammunition, over the limit, resident and non-resident license issues, and boating violations he encountered while checking waterfowl hunters. GWFC Fogle conducted 49 patrols for waterfowl violations, logging 115 hours and 168 total contacts. Congratulations to Game Warden First Class Quinn Fogle, the 2017 Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award recipient. \nHunter Education Instructor of the Year \nGame Warden First Class Allen Mills  Region VI \nGame Warden First Class Allen Mills is the 2016 Hunter Education Instructor of the Year. GWFC Mills has been a certified Hunter Education instructor for seventeen years. His enthusiasm and ability to speak in front of a group motivates and keeps the students interested in the classroom. Throughout the year, Allen adjusted his schedule to accommodate the public with more convenient opportunities to obtain a Hunter Education certification on Sunday afternoons and provided unscheduled testing opportunities for unique situations. He even assisted a student that could not read with the test. GWFC Mills completed the IHEA Hunting Incident Training to increase his knowledge and experience to pass along to his students. Hunter development is also one of Allen's strengths and he made it a priority last year to teach young hunters firearm safety, how to shoot skeet safely emphasizing safe shooting zones, and taking the young hunters quail hunting with dogs in order to emphasize shoot/don't shoot situations. He took his hunter safety and hunter ethics messages to the community as well, speaking on radio stations in his area and to locally based clubs. Additionally, he taught the hunting and firearms safety to 10 classes for the Choosing Healthy Activities and Methods Promoting Safety (C.H.A.M.P.S.) program in Laurens County. Congratulations to Game Warden First Class Allen Mills, the 2016 Hunter Education Instructor of the Year. \n11 \n \n The Torch Award \nGame Warden 2 Chris Kernahan  Region II \nGame Warden 2 Chris Kernahan is the 2017 Torch Award recipient. Chris is focused on conservation law enforcement and the proof is in his work ethic. This past year, he logged 224 citations and 301 written warnings in hunting, fishing, boating, environmental, and WMA/State Park enforcement. He has developed a keen sense of investigatory and verbal skills and while working both on and off Fort Yargo State Park, where he is assigned, he made 44 VGCSA cases with five being felony grade violations. Game Warden Kernahan's attention to detail earned him a spot on the Critical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT) where he has investigated three boating fatalities, two serious injury boating incidents, one hunting fatality and two hunting incidents with serious injuries. His education and public outreach efforts were commendable. He performed eight water safety I\u0026E's to over 900 middle school students and wildlife identification to over 200 elementary students. He also taught six boater education courses, six hunter education courses, and three hunter development programs. Chris has proven to be a valuable asset to the region as well as the Law Enforcement Division. Congratulations to Game Warden 2 Chris Kernahan, the 2017 Torch award winner. \nPrevious Game Wardens of the Year \n \nWilliam Powell W.D. Hill, Jr. Michael Bone William Vickers Dan Parrish Ronald Bailey Ralph Sheppard Roger D. Garrison James McDaniel Doug Lewis Terry West W. Howard Hensley, Jr. Dennis Aderholt Bill Bunch Arvid Edwards Mitchell H. Yeargin Jeff Weaver Mike Commander Phillip Scott \n \n1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 \n \nStanley Elrod Rick Sellars David Ruddell Derek Dillard Mike Barr Harry E. Akins Eric Brown John Murphy Shane Sartor Mike Binion Brian Hobbins Cindy Miller Timothy Butler Jason Roberson David Webb Greg Wade Casey Jones Eddie Tompkins \n \n1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 \n \n12 \n \n Region I- Calhoun (Northwest) \nFront row - L-R: Capt. Jeff Galloway, GW Frank Pucci, Sgt. James Keener, GW Travis Shrader, Cadet Jeffery Turner, GWFC Roger McConkey, Cpl. Bart Hendrix, GWFC Mark Puig, Sgt. Brian Keener, GWFC Mark Moyer, GWFC. Zack Hardy Back Row - L-R: Cpl. Shawn Elmore, Sgt. Mike Barr, GW Kalem Burns, Cpl. Cody Jones, Cpl. Casey Jones, GWFC Daniel Gray, Cpl. Byron Young, Cadet William Smith, Cadet James Lewis, and Sgt. Jason Roberson. Inset: AOC Joyce Holland, Secretary Sherry Rollins Not Pictured: Sgt. Eric Brown, Cpl. Brooks Varnell and K9 Taz, Cpl. Chad Cox, Cpl. Ben Cunningham, and Cadet Garrett Pownall. Cadet Carla Gann, Cadet Ryan Shorter, Cadet Kevin Hurley, and Cadet Caleb Thomas. \nAdministration Currently Region I is comprised of 20 Northwest Georgia Counties and the Metro Atlanta area. Within these counties, we have 3 major impoundments, 6 major rivers, 7 State Parks, 18 Wildlife Management Areas (249,000 acres) 173,000 acres of US Forest Service lands, 2,440 miles of trout streams, and calls for service from citizen complaints on private lands in 20 counties, covered by 30 LED Game Wardens. \nFY-2018 has been a busy year administratively in the Acworth Region with several personnel changes. The addition of three new Game Wardens for Rocky Mtn. PFA along with other Regional vacancies led to the hiring six new Game Wardens. Five finished the academy and began their FTO process. Cadets Kalem Burns and Nolan Callaway were assigned to Rocky PFA. Frank Pucci was assigned to Redtop Mountain State Park. Cadet Ryan Locke was assigned to Fulton County and Cadet Travis Shrader was assigned to Fort Mountain State Park. Once the FTO was complete, Game Warden Frank Pucci transferred to the Bartow County vacancy. Game Warden Travis Shrader transferred to the Walker County vacancy. Game Warden Kalem Burns transferred to the Gilmer County vacancy. Game Wardens Ryan Locke and Nolan Calloway transferred out of the region. In January, a round of Cadets started P.O.S.T. training with more to follow in April of 2018. There assignments were as follows: Cadet Kevin Hurley, Cadet Jeffery Turner, and Cadet Carla Gann will be going to Rocky Mountain PFA, Cadet William Smith will be going to Fort Mountain State Park, Cadet James Lewis will be going to Redtop Mountain State Park, \n13 \n \n Cadet Garrett Pownall will be going to Fulton County, Cadet Ryan Shorter will be going to Douglas County, and Cadet Caleb Thomas will be going to Pickens County. GWFC Mark Puig was selected as the State Boating Officer of the Year. Cpl. Bart Hendrix was selected as the State Investigative Game Warden of the Year. Cpl. Cody Jones represented Region 1 as the Game Warden of the Year. GWFC Daniel Gray represented Region 1 as the National Wild Turkey Game Warden of the Year. Sgt. Eric Brown represented Region 1 as the Supervisor of the Year. \n \nOperational \n \nIn February 2018, Sgt. Mike Barr was detached to headquarters to assist with the Law Enforcement Division specialty license plate project. Legislators approved a new specialty license plate during the 2016-2017 session. Funds from the sale of the \"Support Georgia Game Wardens\" specialty license plate are designated to the Law Enforcement Division to be used as needed for operations, equipment. Sales had been slow during 2017 and early 2018. Sgt. Barr worked with game wardens across the State, local media, and attended special events including many of the National Wild Turkey Federation events. Sales increased from 263 to 1168 within 60 days which met the minimum of 1000 pre-sells required by law. Georgia is the only State in the U.S. to currently have a specialty license plate program directly benefitting game wardens. The specialty license plate is pending the final process of availability by the Georgia Department of Revenue. \n \nSgt. Mike Barr was also assigned to assist in recruiting efforts for the Law Enforcement Division starting in April 2018. This is the first time the department has had a designated recruiter. Working with local game wardens, a media blitz, and direct recruiting efforts, applicant numbers increased from 298 in 2017 to 605 applicants in 2018. Successful applicants will attend the DNR Law Enforcement Division game warden academy in January 2019 held at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, Georgia. \n \nSgt. Mike Barr (right) working with National Wild Turkey Federation personnel at the Augusta, Georgia event where game wardens pre-sold 102 specialty license plates. \n \nOn September 9th, most of Region 1 Game Wardens responded to Hurricane Irma in the southern section of the State while others concentrated on state owned properties within the Region to ensure evacuees were safe and had necessities. \n \n14 \n \n June 2, 2018 Game Wardens Cpl. \n \nBen Cunningham and Cadet Carla \n \nGann were assisting Rome-Floyd \n \nCounty Fire Department on the \n \nEtowah River as safety boats for \n \nCoosa River Basin Initiative Totally \n \nTubular event. This event was being \n \nheld to attempt to break a world \n \nrecord for the longest line of inner \n \ntubes and inflatables. The river \n \nlevels on the Etowah River and the \n \nOostanaula River were at dangerous \n \nlevels and event coordinators were \n \nadvised to cancel the event. The coordinators did not heed the warning and Cpl. Cunningham, \n \nCoosa River Basin Initiative prepares to break a world record on the Etowah River. \n \nCadet Gann and firefighters from the Rome-Floyd Fire Department had to rescues nearly \n \n100 participants from the river after they were swept past the take-out point at Heritage \n \nPark just below the confluence of the Etowah and Oostanaula Rivers \n \nAn aerial view of the attempt to break a world record that almost ended in tragedy. (photo \n \ncourtesy of Keith Beauchamp with KB Aerial Imaging) August 29th, Sgt. Eric Brown, Cpl. Brooks Varnell, Cpl. Chad Cox, GWFC Daniel Gray and Game Warden Ryan Locke conducted a dove field flight detail in Paulding County with the help of DNR Aviation. During the flight two baited fields were located and flagged. \n15 \n \n In October, multiple DNR cameras were placed at the DNR HWY 166 boat ramp in Fulton County to assist with illegal dumping investigations. Since the cameras have been deployed close to a dozen illegal dumping cases have been made. \nOctober 3rd, Sgt. Eric Brown, GWFC Daniel Gray and Game Warden Ryan Locke responded to Sweetwater Creek State Park to look for a missing person who had been making suicidal threats. The individual's body was found the next day in the lake by utilizing the DNR Sonar equipment. \nNovember 25th, Cpl. Chad Cox and GWFC Daniel Gray organized a night deer hunting detail in Haralson and Polk Counties where DNR aviation was utilized. During the detail four different groups of violators were apprehended which netted in 13 citations issued. \nIn January and February, Sgt. Eric Brown attended Communications Technician Train-theTrainer and Communications Leader Train-the-Trainer provided by Homeland Security and the Office of Emergency Communication. This training is the first step in a cooperative plan with GEMA to train others in Georgia as certified Technicians and Leaders during large scale events. \nIn February, Cpl. Brooks Varnell travelled to North Carolina where he chose 4 new K-9's for the state. The following week he began the twelve-week K-9 school at the GPSTC for handlers and the new K-9 Game Wardens. \nMarch 24th, Sgt. Eric Brown and GWFC Daniel Gray were patrolling on opening day of turkey season when they located a truck. Game Wardens then heard two shots and quickly located the hunter. The hunter was charged with possession of firearm by convicted felon, hunting w/o nonresident hunting license and big game license, hunting with electronic calls and hunting out of season. The individual had killed 2 wood ducks. Cpl. Brooks Varnell was able to utilize K-9 Taz to retrieve the dead ducks from the lake. \n16 \n \n April 30th through May 4th, Sgt. Eric Brown participated in the Departments first Mobile Command Vehicle Communications exercise hosted by GEMA at Lake Lanier Islands. \nThe MCV was used for team communications with other MCV teams and scenarios. \nMay 12th, Sgt. Eric Brown, Cpl. Brooks Varnell, GWFC Daniel Gray, and K-9 Taz assisted with the Haralson County Trout Rodeo. This annual event drew over 1,100 kids and a total of 3,200 individuals participated in the event which includes fishing, archery and shooting sports. \nJune 9th, Cpl. Chad Cox organized the Polk County Kid's Fishing Rodeo. 392 kids under the age of 16 attended this year's event. Drinks, t-shirts, ice cream, hotdogs, chips, cookies and fishing bait were provided at no cost to everyone at the event. \n17 \n \n The week of June 11th, Sgt. Eric Brown, Cpl. Brooks Varnell, GWFC Daniel Gray, and GW Garrett Pownall conducted the 14th Carroll County Outdoor Camp. Thirty-Seven youths were certified in Hunter Education and Boat Georgia. Activities included live fire with .22 and shotguns, archery, crossbows, GPS hunts, tree identification, and a day of fishing. \nCpl. Cody Jones received an award for \"Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer\" from the Jasper Optimist Club. He was also chosen as the Region I Warden of the Year. Cpl. Jones attended training in Florida in August of 2017 to provide future training on Water Survival. Cpl. Jones also had a new addition to his family with the recent birth of his 2nd daughter. \nCpl. Cody Jones confiscated an illegally suppressed rifle taken from a subject who was located hunted deer over bait in Fannin County. A subsequent investigation and collaborative work with the ATF revealed that the subject was also a convicted felon. The subject was charged with multiple violations and is awaiting trial. \nIn November of 2017 Cpl. Casey Jones and Cadet Travis Shrader responded to a complaint of an illegally killed deer in Pickens County. Cpl. Jones also received a photo of the suspect in possession of the buck deer in question. After an in-depth investigation and several interviews, 4 bucks were confiscated and multiple charges were made against two suspects. \n18 \n \n In May of 2018, Warden Kalem Burns made contact with two subjects illegally digging \"ramps\" on USFS property near Cohutta WMA. The subjects had in their possession approximately 5 pounds of the plants. Information was turned over to USFS officers and federal charges were made. In June of 2018, Cpl. Casey Jones and Cadet William Smith arrested and charged a Murray County man with multiple charges including digging ginseng out of season, digging undersized ginseng plants, and driving on a suspended license. Cpl. Jones seized 70 ginseng roots of which 54 were undersized. \nThe new Cobia patrol boat assigned to Carter's Lake. Cpl. Casey Jones, Game Warden Kalem Burns, and Cadet William Smith are pictured. On November 17, Sgt. Jason Roberson and Game Warden First Class Mark Puig received a complaint of night deer hunting in Cherokee County. Upon investigating, the subject was located and charged with hunting deer at night, hunting from a vehicle, hunting from a public road, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, as well as numerous felony drug charges. Game Wardens in the Allatoona Lake work section began to foster a cooperative agreement with the Bartow and Cherokee County Sherriff's offices that would provide officers to assist on vessel patrols during the summer months. The two Sherriff's offices have provided officers to act as a force multiplier in assisting Game Wardens to operate more patrol boats. This initiative has assisted the work section in increasing the number of impaired boat operators that it is able to detect. In 2017 the section was able to detect fortyone such operators and is on pace to detect more than that this year. \n19 \n \n Region II- Gainesville (Northeast) \nFront Row L-R: AAIII Brenda Tanner, Secretary Tasha Lamb, PT Secretary McKayla Justus, Cpl. Craig Fulghum, GWFC Joe Hill, GW Chris Hall, GWFC David Webb, Sgt. Lee Brown, GWFC Matt Johnson, GW Ryan Locke, GWFC Mitchell Crump, Cpl. Tim Vickery, GWFC Brandon Pierce, GWFC Shane Sartor, GWFC Chris Kernahan, Back row, L-R: Cpl. Eric Sanders, Sgt. Mike Burgamy, GWFC Kevin Goss, Cpl. Eric Isom, Sgt. Derek Dillard, GW Beth Gilbert, GW Jonathan Segars, Cpl. Adam Loudermilk, Cpl. Eddie Tompkins, GWFC Shane Brown, Sgt. Steve Seitz, Cpl. Kevin Dyer, Sgt. Greg Colson, Capt. Johnny Johnson Inset, L-R: Cpl. Anne Wiley, GWFC Chad Chambers, GW Tommy Crabb, GWFC Mark Stephens \nThe Gainesville Region is comprised of the 19 Northeast Georgia Counties which include several metro areas around Atlanta. Within these counties, we have 8 major impoundments, 3 major rivers, 13 Wildlife Management Areas, 220 miles of trout streams, 21 State Park Properties and 288,000 acres of National Forest lands. The impoundments within Region II receive over 25 million visitors annually while the state parks and wildlife management areas receive another 2.5 million annually. The Law Enforcement Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources is responsible for the law enforcement needs on all of the state owned and operated properties in addition to any DNR law enforcement calls for service on private or public property from the 19-county area within the region. This tremendous amount of visitation and use on these proprieties create a great deal of diverse law enforcement issues and needs that the 30 officers of this region continually address. \nBoating Activity \nThis year has been another active year with water related fatalities. Drowning and boating related incidents accounted for 16 deaths from July of 2017 through June of 2018. Game Wardens assigned to Region II LED continue to be very busy with these types of incidents investigating 48 boating incidents this year. Lake Lanier's visitation reportedly increased from 9.8 to 11.8 million visitors annually. All of the lake water levels within the region remained at full pool throughout the summer months. \n20 \n \n The image below was the results of attempting to locate a drowning victim where over 280 drops of the sector scan were performed by Game Wardens. All of the other areas in the image were covered by other sonar devices. The victim was never recovered although an extraordinary effort was made by those involved. Game Wardens from Region II LED arrested over 60 BUI's this year where enforcement of alcohol and drug related offences remain a priority. \nHunting and Fishing Activity \nThis summer Game Warden Ryan Locke was patrolling known fishing areas on Lake Lanier. Locke observed a center console with two occupants fishing with gill nets. Locke engaged the two individuals and determined that they had one gill net on their vessel. The subjects later informed Locke that there were two-gill nets remaining in the water. Citations were issued for fishing by illegal methods and warnings issued for commercially fishing without a license. The three-gill nets were confiscated. \nOn March 20th, Game Wardens Mike Burgamy, Adam Loudermilk, and Ryan Locke worked a concentrated fishing enforcement detail at Commerce watershed for fishing violations. During the detail the Game Wardens identified 8 individuals who had caught 456 Crappie over their limit. The individuals were issued citations for the violations and the fish were donated to needy families. After this initial incident, some of the same individuals were apprehended again for the same violations and incarcerated. \n21 \n \n Prior to the start of the 2017-2018 deer season, Cpl. Eddie Tompkins and Ranger Chris Hall were working a complaint of a subject hunting out of season, over bait, without permission, and at night with aid of night vision optics on his crossbow. On the evening prior to the season starting Cpl. Tompkins was able to apprehend the subject after he killed a 10-point buck. The subject was interviewed and it was discovered that he had killed 2 other bucks, both 9 points he had taken in July and August prior to the season starting. In total 6 deer racks were confiscated and the subject was charged in two counties with violations of hunting deer without permission, hunting out of season, hunting over bait, hunting at night, and other violations. \nOn March 29th, Game Warden Ryan Locke, gained information that a subject had shot two turkeys. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the subject did not have a hunting license and the turkeys were shot in Hancock County. In a separate incident 3 other turkeys were found to have been taken illegally by hunters without license. The violations were addressed and the fans, spurs, and beards of both birds were confiscated. \n \nOther Activity \n \nThis summer LED partnered \n \nwith the State Parks Division, \n \nNGMA and the Fisheries \n \nDivision to address the canoe \n \nlaunch issue on the \n \nChattahoochee River located \n \non Hwy 115. The launch had \n \ndeteriorated and was in \n \ndesperate \n \nneed \n \nof \n \nreplacement. As a team effort \n \nassociates from these sections \n \nand divisions worked to \n \ninstall new timbers and gravel \n \nto make the necessary repairs \n \nfor a safer and better facility. \n \n22 \n \n On August 21st 2017 a solar eclipse occurred where its path took it over the northern part of Georgia. Blackrock Mountain was indicated as ground zero but all of the Region II area was in the perferred viewing area of the state. The event was forecasted to become a major event that would draw an estimated 200,000 visitors to the area. LED initiated ICP throughout the north Georgia area to address the public safety concerns on DNR owned and controlled properties and lakes as well as to provide assistance to local and other state agencies with law enforcement and search and rescue operations. Game wardens from Regions I, II and III were assigned to this detail, associates form WRD and Parks were involved. \nGame Wardens form Regions II and V were assigned to an extended detail in the north Georgia area this summer. The Rainbow Family of Living Light selected a site on the Chattahoochee National Forest for its 2018 national gathering. The event coincided with the Fourth of July holiday. The area experienced the highest concentration of visitors during the first week of July near Dahlonega just outside the community of Nimblewill. The Rainbow Family is a loose-knit group of people from throughout the USA and other countries. Each summer they hold a national gathering to pursue social and spiritual activities and pray for world peace. Since 1972, the event has taken place on a different national forest each year. Crowds range from 2,000 to 10,000 forest visitors. The Game Wardens assisted Local, State and Federal Law Enforcements agencies to maintain public safety at the event. \n23 \n \n Game Wardens continued to keep their SAR skills perfected. The annual training held at Tallulah Gorge State Park provides an opportunity for Game Wardens to practice in anticipation of real life situations that unfortunately are occurring more and more in the North Georgia area of Region II. \nRegion II Personnel Awards GWFC Chris Kernahan received the NAWEOA National Torch Award GWFC Shane Brown received the Region II Game Warden of the Year Award GWFC Kevin Goss received the Region II Boating Safety Officer of the Year Award GWFC Shane Sartor received the Region II NWTF Award GWFC Joe Hill received the Region II Investigative Officer of the Year Award GWFC Beth Gilbert received the Region II Torch Award Captain Johnny Johnson received the John Jacobs Award presented by the Hall county Kiwanis Club Promotions and Personnel Changes Game Warden Tim Vickery was promoted to Cpl. Game Warden Brandon Pierce GWFC 2 Game Warden Matt Johnson was promoted to GWFC 1 Game Warden Kevin Goss was promoted GWFC 1 Game Warden Chris Kernahan GWFC 1 Game Warden Tommy Crabb was promoted to GW 2 Game Warden Chris Hall was promoted to GW 2 Game Warden Ryan Locke was promoted to GW 2 Cpl. Josh Chambers retired from DNR LED \n24 \n \n Region III- Thomson (East Central) \nFront Row - L-R: Cpl. Derrell Worth, Cpl. Jeff Billips, Sgt. Doyte Chaffin, Cpl. Ben Payne, Sgt. Max Boswell, Sgt. Matt Garthright, Sgt. Brian Carter Second Row - L-R: Sgt. John Harwell, GW Dan Schay, Cpl. David Allen, Captain Stan Elrod, GW Phillip Nelson, Cpl. Ryan Swain Third Row  L-R: Cpl. Brian Adams, GW Jason Harrison, GW Bobby Timmerman, GW Tim Butler, Cpl. Julian Wilkins, Cpl. Mark Patterson Inset: AACIII Elizabeth Bentley, Part time Secretary Shelby Patterson \nPersonnel Changes Region III welcomed four new Game Wardens. Chris Adkins is assigned to Columbia County, John Rhodes is assigned to Lake Oconee Boating Safety, Noah Osborne is assigned to Elijah Clarke State Park, and Jerry Paulk is assigned to Washington/Jonson Counties. Nolan Calloway transferred from Region 1 to McDuffie/ Taliaferro Counties. Region Personnel Awards Cpl. Brian Adams received the State Game Warden of the Year award Cpl. Brian Adams received the NAWEOA Officer of the Year Cpl. David Allen received the Region III Boating Officer of the Year Award Sgt. Doyte Chaffin received the State Supervisor of the Year award Cpl. Ben Payne received the Region III Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award Cpl. Jeff Billips received the State NWTF Officer of the Year Award \n25 \n \n Conservation Law Enforcement Over the past year, Sgt. Brian Carter, Cpl. Julian Wilkins, Cpl. Mark Patterson, GWFC Phillip Nelson, and GWFC Tim Butler were involved in five separate illegal trapping incidents. Two incidents occurred in Oglethorpe County, two in Wilkes County, and one in Elbert County. One incident was called in on a complaint when a dog was caught in a leg-hold trap and the other four were selfgenerated and located while searching for deer and turkey bait. A total of seven subjects were charged. Their charges included Trapping Without a License, Trapping Out of Season, Unlawful Methods (Blind Pig), Failure to Check Within 24 Hours, Failure to Tag Traps, and Trapping Without Permission. Cpl. Patterson placing a camera on a trap site. There are three traps underneath the hanging deer carcass. The two subjects responsible for this setup also used a live chicken in a cage at another spot. They had nine traps placed around the chicken. In February, Region III LED Game Wardens started an Investigation on illegal artifact digging in Columbia Co. Arrests of two suspects were made in March. One suspect was arrested again in Burke Co. in June. Game Wardens obtained information that also implicated the diggers in South Carolina. Assistance was lent to SCDNR and several arrests were made in McCormick Co. S.C. (One arrest was the same suspect that was arrested in Columbia and Burke). Currently, both states continue to investigate and anticipate several more arrests soon. State Archeologists helped identify the items seized. \n26 \n \n \"Tom Brady\" Case \nIn September 2017, Cpl. Jeff Billips responded to a complaint of a trophy buck killed by a non-resident poacher with a firearm during archery season. Cpl. Billips examined the buck's carcass at the deer processor. There was an obvious bullet wound that traveled through the buck's midsection, shattering the spine and leaving a large exit wound. Cpl. Billips noted the poacher had attempted to conceal the bullet wounds by shooting an arrow \nthrough the exit wound. The buck carcass, rack and cape were seized. Cpl. Billips interviewed the poacher, who denied shooting the buck with a firearm. The poacher had not recorded the buck's harvest. Cpl. Billips found that the poacher had killed a ten point buck the previous weekend and it too had not been recorded or reported. In December State Court, the judge accepted pleas to one count of hunting deer with a centerfire rifle during archery season and two counts recording and reporting requirements for game animals. The poacher was fined for the three counts, his hunting privileges were suspended through January 2019, ordered to pay $2,000.00 restitution, ordered to pay to have the trophy buck mounted and to surrender the tenpoint rack. \nOn December 1, Region 3 Game Wardens responded to a boating incident on Clarks Hill Lake. The incident involved two bass boats that collided. Both operators were killed. One subject was located the next day and the other subject was located three days later with sector scan. CIRT completed the investigation. Game Wardens involved with the search were Sgt. Doyte Chaffin, Sgt. John Harwell, Sgt. Brian Carter, Cpl. Ryan Swain, GW Jason Harrison, GW Bobby Timmerman, GW Grant Matherly, and Captain Stan Elrod. \nGame Wardens responded to a double drowning in Oconee County in June. Game Wardens spent five days on McNutt Creek assisting the county EMA in its search for two teenagers that drowned below a lowhead dam after heavy rains. \n27 \n \n Cpl. Derrell Worth hosted a youth squirrel hunt and skeet shoot at the Oconee WMA. Twelve kids and their parents took part in the hunt. All children were successful at harvesting a squirrel. These children had completed their hunter safety certification earlier in the year and were given the opportunity to participate in the hunt. Volunteer dog handlers with dogs made this event possible. Nine Game Wardens participated in the hunt and guided the hunt groups to ensure the safety of everyone involved. \nGWFC Ricky Boles combated night deer hunting activity in Morgan County after receiving numerous complaints from local citizens. GWFC Boles apprehended three groups of night deer hunters. During one of his stops he located a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. While attempting to make another stop, Captain Stan Elrod and GWFC Boles were led on a highspeed chase, where the driver crashed and fled on foot. \nSgt. Matt Garthright partnered with the Georgia Power Company to construct five additional life jacket loaner boards around Lake Oconee in support of the Wear It Campaign. Sgt. Garthright reached out to friends with the Sea Tow Foundation and got them to donate 300 loaner life jackets. Some of these life jackets were used on Lake Oconee to fill the new loaner boards. Most of the donated life jackets were sent to other parts of the state to fill newly constructed DNR life jacket loaner boards. These new loaner boards on Lake Oconee have been highly used by the public. \n28 \n \n The Lake Oconee work unit saw a spike in illegal fishing practices around the lake. The work unit encountered fishermen using cast nets and gill nets to catch game fish. Game Wardens worked this illegal activity during all times of the day and night resulting in 20 individuals charged with illegally netting game fish. Game Wardens confiscated hundreds of game fish that were illegally caught and kept. The illegal activity was detrimental to the fish resource. As a result of the enforcement effort put forth against these illegal practices, the illegal activities were curtailed. \nEnvironmental crimes such as this tire dump became more prevalent this past year. Several tire-dumping cases were investigated by Game Wardens in Newton, Walton, Morgan, and Greene Counties. Game Wardens pursued criminal charges against several individuals and partnered with EPD to pursue the civil process of having these tires cleaned up. \n29 \n \n Region IV- Macon (West Central) \nFront Row  L-R: Keith Page w/K-9 Rio, AA III Kim Cato, Nikki Spencer, Cpl. Lynn Stanford, Jonathan Segars, Stephen Payne, Secretary Debbie Stephens, Sgt. Jeremy Bolen w/K-9 Ruger Second Row  L-R: Sgt. Brent Railey, Freddie Hays, Ethan Franklin, Josh Cockrell, Charlie Follin, Ronnie Beard Third Row  L-R: Cpl. Mitch Oliver, Cpl. Keith Waddell, Cpl. Robert Stillwell, Cpl. Tony Wynne, Cpl. Wil Smith, Captain Chris Hodge Fourth Row  L-R: Sgt. Bo Kelly, Sgt. Tony Fox, Lamar Burns, Ken Lalumiere, Kevin Godbee, Russell Epps \nSgt. Bo Kelly's Work Unit Sgt. Kelly's work section covers eight counties and Lake Sinclair. Counties in the area include: Pulaski, Bleckley, Houston, Twiggs, Baldwin, Jones, Wilkinson and Putnam. Working in the work section are Cpl. Lynn Stanford, Cpl. Robert Stillwell, GWFC Ronnie Beard, GW2 Stephen Payne, GW2 Josh Cockrell and GW2 Jonathan Segars. \nDuring this past year, this work section had three new Game Wardens added to its work force. GW2 Stephen Payne, Josh Cockrell and Jonathan Segars graduated from Advanced Game Warden Academy this past fall and filled vacancies in Jones, Wilkinson and Baldwin counties. This has added a much-needed boost to the work section and they are diligently working all complaints received while also providing law enforcement presence on state owned/controlled lands. There are 10 Wildlife Management Areas, 2 Public Fishing Areas, 1 Historic Preservation Area and 2 federal hunting areas (Piedmont NWR, Oconee National Forest) in this work section. \n30 \n \n During this past year, Game Wardens worked events at the Perry Buckarama as well as the spring Turkeyrama. During these events, Game Wardens answered questions from the public and distributed recruitment paperwork. \nDuring this period, there were several significant investigations that were conducted by Game Wardens. One such investigation involved hunting deer from motor vehicle and from a public road. After receiving a tip about this incident, Game Wardens located the site where the deer was killed. After collecting evidence, the suspect was interviewed and a confession was obtained. The person was charged with hunting from a public road, hunting from a motor vehicle and hunting without permission. \nThis work section is also responsible for patrolling Lake Sinclair. Lake Sinclair, a 15,500-acre impoundment operated by Georgia Power is normally a high traffic lake. During this past year, Rangers worked eight boating accidents/incidents on the Lake as well as one drowning. Rangers assisted numerous boaters who were either lost or were having engine problems. There are two patrol boats assigned to Lake Sinclair, both outfitted with side scan sonar, and are housed at the DNR boathouse located on the water. The work section also worked a drowning in the Oconee River, below Milledgeville and another drowning in Wilkinson County, during the year. \n31 \n \n Three of the Game Wardens in our work section serve the department as SONAR operators, who have been trained to operate the towed side scan sonar, the sector scan sonar and the ROV (remotely operated vessel). These tools allow us to search the bottom of lakes and rivers for drowning victims as well as evidence of a crime. Below is Cpl. Stanford operating the ROV in a small pond in south Georgia, at the request of the GBI, who were searching for a firearm used in a homicide. \nSome of the significant cases that Rangers encountered during this period included 2 groups of persons hunting deer at night, 3 cases of hunting under the influence of alcohol/drugs (HUI) and 13 boating under the influence (BUI) arrests. There were numerous wildlife cases made this past year, including hunting waterfowl over bait and the unlawful selling game fish. \n32 \n \n This past fall, Game Wardens assisted local agencies with opening roadways as Hurricane Irma came through the work section. Game Wardens worked on clearing trees from roads, allowing other public safety agencies to be able to respond to calls for service. Game Wardens also opened up roads on WMA areas for the public. \nDuring the year, the Region hosted two student internships through ABAC. The first intern is currently attending Game Warden Academy, while the other is currently going through the hiring process. Our internship programs allow students, working towards their college degree, to work daily with a Game Warden to observe the job and decide if they want to pursue a career as a Game Warden. \nGWFC Ronnie Beard was assigned to the Governor's Drug Task Force for seven months of this past year. The GTF is a partnership with DNR, the Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia Department of Corrections and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision. The GTF works statewide to detect and eradicate Marijuana grow operations. \nSgt. Jeremy Bolen's Work Unit \nSgt. Bolen's section consists of Harris, Muscogee, Talbot, Taylor, Crawford, Bibb, and Peach Counties. The Game Wardens in this work unit patrol Lake Harding, Lake Oliver, Goat Rock, and Lake Tobesofkee, along with several miles of the Chattahoochee, Ocmulgee, and Flint Rivers. Several stateowned properties are also located within the work section including 7 Wildlife Management Areas, 1 Public Fishing Area, and 1 State Park. Game Wardens assigned to this work unit are Cpl. Mitch Oliver, Cpl. Josh Swain, GWFC David Fisher, Game Warden Lamar Burns, Game Warden Ethan Franklin, and K-9 Ruger. \nSgt. Jim Bradfield retired this year after 25 years of outstanding service to the citizens of the State of Georgia. Jim enjoyed a wonderful career and we wish the best for him, Carol, and their two boys. \n33 \n \n Cpl. Mitch Oliver is a defensive tactics instructor as well as a senior member of the Critical Incident Reconstruction Team. Cpl. Oliver traveled to Missouri and Arkansas this past year where he served as an Instructor at the National Hunting Incident Investigation Academy. Cpl. Mitch Oliver was named the Region 4 Investigative Game Warden of the Year as well as the Region 4 Game Warden of the Year. \nIn December of 2017, Cpl. Oliver received a complaint of a large buck being killed at a local chicken processing plant in Harris County. The information was initially reported that the deer was put down from the result of some kind of injury. Cpl. Oliver began an investigation which quickly unveiled that criminal acts had occurred. Throughout the investigation, Cpl. Oliver utilized search warrants to obtain surveillance video footage which showed an individual striking the deer with a shovel. After the course of the investigation, Cpl. Oliver took arrest warrants out on the individual for hunting without a license, hunting without a big game license, and hunting with an illegal weapon. \nIn April of 2018, Cpl. Oliver and Sgt. Bolen were patrolling for turkey hunting violations. They noticed pieces of chicken hanging from a tree limb in front of a trail camera. After an interview with the property owner, it was determined that there was poison capsules (temik) inside of the chicken which was being used to target coyotes. No deceased animal carcasses were located in the area. The case was turned over to the Department of Agriculture for prosecution. \nIn May of 2018, Cpl. Oliver was instrumental in setting up a life jacket giveaway in Columbus. The event was in partnership with Safe Kids of Columbus. Over 400 life jackets were given away to children during the event. Cpl. Oliver was on hand at the event to ensure that the life jackets were properly fitted for the children. \n34 \n \n Cpl. Josh Swain is one of the region sonar operators and he attended a week-long sonar training session this past year. With his vast knowledge of computers, Cpl. Swain was tasked with developing a statewide v-card contact list for the new state issued cell phones. Cpl. Swain travelled out of the section several times to assist other sections with searching for drowning victims. Cpl. Swain was the recipient of the Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award for Region 4. Cpl. Swain took our new Game Warden (Ethan Franklin) under his wing and showed him how to seek out waterfowl violations. \nIn October of 2017, Cpl. Swain assisted this successful hunter with checking in his deer on the Big Lazer WMA firearms deer hunt. \nIn January of 2018, on the last weekend of the waterfowl season, Cpl. Josh Swain was able to locate a baited duck shoot. The hunters all received citations from Cpl. Swain for their violations. The group still managed to smile and requested a picture with their local Game Warden. \n35 \n \n Game Warden First Class David Fisher works a large metro county in the work section. His ability to communicate with the public led him to being selected to teach the required Cultural Awareness training to Game Wardens all over this state. GWFC Fisher attended NASBLA Boating Incident Investigation Level 1 in Tennessee this past year. \nIn August of 2017, GWFC Fisher was patrolling Bibb County when he discovered something very unusual in the midst of his path. GWFC Fisher identified the object as an African Sulcata Tortoise. GWFC Fisher picked the tortoise up and later discovered that someone was missing the animal. The local museum of arts held the tortoise until the rightful owners were able to retrieve it. This incident was submitted to DNR LED Facebook where it received over 700 likes. \nIn May of 2018, GWFC David Fisher presented a live television interview on boating safety to a local news station out of Columbus. \nGame Warden Lamar Burns just recently transferred into the work section. Game Warden Burns is now assigned Bibb County. It was just a short matter of time before the local news stations were calling and wanting to do a boating safety interview with the local Game Warden. \nGame Warden Ethan Franklin completed his required FTO training back on January 1st. Game Warden Franklin didn't waste any time getting out and working on his own. \nIn January of 2018, Game Warden Franklin and Cpl. Bolen located a baited duck shoot. A total of 9 ducks were confiscated for various violations such as hunting over bait, hunting without license, and hunting with lead shot. \n36 \n \n In May of 2018, Game Warden Franklin presented a television interview about boating safety as well as the alligator population on the Chattahoochee River. \nK-9 Ruger was utilized throughout the year. Ruger assisted GWFC Russell Epps with backtracking an individual back to their residence where an illegally taken deer was located, as well as a marijuana grow. In October of 2017, K-9 Ruger was utilized to perform a demonstration at a local school. The children learned about the functions of a Game Warden and their K-9 companions. Sgt. Bolen's Work section Game Wardens responded to a total of one hunting incident, five boating incidents and six drownings during this past year. \n37 \n \n Sgt. Brent Railey's Work Unit Sgt. Railey's work unit covers Henry, Spalding, Pike, Clayton, Fayette, Meriwether, Coweta, Heard, and Troup Counties. His work unit also consists of West Point Lake and several miles of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. Cpl. Keith Waddell, GW Russell Epps, GW Kevin Godbee, GW Charles Follin, and GW Ken Lalumiere are currently assigned under Sgt. Railey's command. Cpl. Travis Sweat is currently assigned on a detachment to the Training Unit at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center to assist with hiring and training of new Game Warden cadets. Currently, Game Warden Cadet Steven Martinez, assigned to Troup County, is attending the Advanced Game Warden academy and will enter the field in late October. \nIn July 2017 Cpl. Keith Waddell, Cpl. Travis Sweat and Game Warden Charlie Follin caught two subjects illegally digging artifacts in Pike County. The two subjects were arrested and charged with digging artifacts without permission. On Thursday August 24 GWFC Kevin Godbee, GWFC Russell Epps, Cpl. Keith Waddell and Sgt. Brent Railey assisted the US Army Corps of Engineers, The Troup County Fire Department, Troup County Sheriff's Office and the 1-507th Parachute Regiment of the US Army, Ft. Benning with a training exercise on West Point Lake. Members of the 1-507th jumped from helicopters using parachutes from about 1500 feet into the lake. DNR Game Wardens kept boat traffic off of the soldiers while they completed their training. About 70 soldiers jumped that afternoon. They did a similar training exercise in May 2018. \n38 \n \n On September 3, 2017 Sgt. Brent Railey, Game Warden Russell Epps and Captain Chris Hodge responded to the Earl Cook Beach area of West Point Lake. Two 12-year-old children were swimming in the water when one went into distress and the second tried to save him. They both drowned and were recovered a short time later by the Troup County Sheriff's Office dive team and DNR Game Wardens. On September 6, 2017 at about 5:00 AM Sgt. Brent Railey received a call from Henry County 911. There was a report of a Bengal tiger running loose near I-75 in Henry County. Sgt. Railey along with Lt. Wayne Hubbard, Sgt. Roberts, Cpl. Travis Sweat, Game Warden Charlie Follin and members of DNR Wildlife Resources Division Game Management Staff responded to the scene. Before they could arrive, several Henry County Officers shot and killed the tiger. It was later determined that the tiger was being transported from Florida to another state and had gotten out of its enclosure. On February 15, 2018 Cpl. Keith Waddell and GW Charlie Follin responded to a missing person on West Point Lake at Clark Access. They, along with Troup County Sheriff's Office and Fire units along with volunteers searched the area. The boat the missing elderly fisherman was in was located and shortly thereafter his body was located in the water near the boat. It was later determined that the cause of death was accidental drowning. Cpl. Keith Waddell and cousin Michael Waddell of Bone Collector, along with their sons, filmed a video promoting the new DNR LED tag. Bone Collector's endorsement of the new LED tag was very beneficial in the success of pre-selling the 1000 tag minimum. \n39 \n \n Sgt. Brent Railey completed Command College and was awarded a MPSA (Master of Public Safety Administration) degree from Columbus State University in May 2018. \nCpl. Travis Sweat was detached to the DNR LED Training Unit at GPSTC to assist with the hiring and in service training in DNR LED in March 2018. \nCpl. Keith Waddell completed the 40 hour IHEA Hunting Incident Investigation Academy in Missouri. \nGame Warden Charlie Follin completed field training on January 1, 2018 and is currently assigned to Coweta County. \nGame Warden Steven Martinez was hired on April 1, 2018 and is assigned to Troup County/West Point Lake. He is scheduled to attend the Game Warden academy in July 2018. \nGame Warden Ken Lalumiere took a lateral transfer to Pike County from the High Falls/Indian Springs State Park position. \nSgt. Tony Fox's Work Unit \nThis year began with Sgt. Fox as the supervisor for the work unit that covers Butts, Jasper, Lamar, Monroe, and Upson Counties. Included in this work unit are Lake Jackson, Lake Juliette, High Falls Lake, the Ocmulgee River, the Towaliga River, the Flint River, High Falls State Park, Indian Springs State Park, Rum Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Clybel WMA, Sprewell Bluff WMA, Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center, Marben Farm PFA, and Camp Thunder hunting area. \nThe work unit had a total of eight officers assigned: Sgt. Tony Fox as the supervisor, Cpl. Wil Smith, Cpl. Tony Wynne, Game Warden First Class Fred Hays, Game Warden First Class Jessica (Niki) Spencer, Game Warden First Class Keith Page (with K-9 Rio), Game Warden First Class Jeremy Reese, and Game Warden Ken Lalumiere. This past spring Jeremy Reese transferred to the investigative unit and Ken Lalumiere took the open position in Pike County. Game Warden Cadet Zachary Griffis is currently attending the Advanced Game Warden Academy and will graduate in late October. He will be assigned to High Falls/Indian Springs State Parks. \n40 \n \n Early in FY 2018, Sgt. Fox was pulled out of the work unit to take over the Admin Sergeant position at the Region IV Office. With Sgt. Fox's departure from the work unit, Cpl. Tony Wynne assumed interim duties as the supervisor for the work unit while also handling his duties as the Game Warden for Monroe County. \nIn the early spring of this year, a young boy fell from the falls on High Falls State Park and drowned. His older brother also fell but was trapped at the base of the upper falls. Due to the high water, the only way to save the boy and recover the deceased child was to use a helicopter. \nIn late spring two kids, a male and a female, seventeen years of age required rescue. Due to the danger of the falls and the danger that First Responders face in trying to effect rescues, the work unit has begun strictly enforcing the park regulations to keep visitors off of the falls. During the month of June, the work unit made 25 trips down the falls, wrote 37 cases/warnings, and escorted 131 people off the park site. The concentrated patrols have noticeably decreased the number of people getting on the falls. \nOver this past fiscal year, Cpl. Wil Smith worked two hunting accidents and one drowning. He was also recognized by the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. While traveling north on I-75, Cpl. Smith came upon a traffic accident. When he stopped to render assistance, he saw a Georgia State Patrol Trooper administering CPR to a person lying on the ground. Cpl. Smith assisted the trooper by administering breaths to the victim. Due to their efforts, the injured subject was revived. Smith is currently enrolled in the Professional Management Program at Columbus State University and should complete his final segment this year. \n41 \n \n This past spring, Game Warden First Class Fred Hays was called to a boat repair facility that had questions about hull identification number on a boat they were repairing. Upon investigation, Hays, with assistance from the Investigative Unit, determined that the number on the boat was not valid and did not match the hidden number on the boat. The boat had travelled a circuitous route through several states before it wound up in Georgia to be sold. Arrests have been made and are pending adjudication. \nGame Warden First Class Niki Spencer worked two boating incidents on Lake Jackson. On one, which occurred in late June, a 24' inboard/outboard exploded killing the owner of the boat. In addition to working boat incidents, Spencer assisted with the shotgun range during the Georgia Wild Day, giving the young shooters a safety briefing prior to them shooting. In addition to working boat incidents, Spencer assisted with the shotgun range during the Georgia Wild Day, giving the young shooters a safety briefing prior to them shooting. \nGame Warden First Class Keith Page and his K-9 partner, Rio, are in high demand by local law enforcement agencies in the Middle Georgia area. Page and Rio have been requested to search for people, guns, and other objects as requested by the local agencies. Page and Rio are in high demand because they have a reputation for being responsive as well as having a high success rate in their searches. \nGWFC Keith Page with K-9 partner Rio \n42 \n \n During the early summer, the middle Georgia area received several inches of rain over a few days. On May 23rd, DNR Law Enforcement received a call from the Crawford County Sheriff's office in reference to assistance needed on the Flint River. Cpl. Wil Smith and Game Warden Keith Page were dispatched to the area to try and locate am overturned boat in the river. Taylor County EMA launched a boat at the same time as Cpl. Smith and GW Page to start searching. A short time later, a mechanical failure on the Game Warden boat \ncaused Page and Smith to drift uncontrollably down the swift running river. Their boat then became lodged against tree which caused their patrol boat to swamp and overturn. At that point the Game Wardens quickly found themselves in a very dangerous situation. Luckily, a Georgia State Patrol helicopter was on scene and observed the entire incident from the air. The pilot was able to keep a close watch on the Game Wardens as they made their way out of the water and to an area where they could be picked up by the helicopter. \nIn the fall of 2017, the Region IV Law Enforcement office received a grant from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to purchase and equip three swift water rescue boats. With this grant, Region IV was able to purchase three inflatable rescue boats along with motors and trailers. This equipment will allow for quicker and safer responses to the swift water rivers in the middle Georgia area. This equipment will also allow for responses to flooding around the state as well. Earlier in the year, Region IV Game Wardens all received hands on training in the basic operation of these new boats. Training is also being planned for the upcoming year to send Game Wardens to South Bend, Indiana, to attend the Indiana River Rescue school's swift water boat operator's course. \n43 \n \n Region V- Albany (Southwest) \nL-R: Capt. Rick Sellars, Sgt. Ellis Wynn, Cpl. Jesse Harrison, AOC Cindy Hynote, Cpl. Clint Martin, Sgt. Al Greer, Cpl. Tony Cox, Ranger David Jones, GWFC Jon Penuel, GWFC Quinn Fogle, GWFC Steve Thomas, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Sgt. Bob Holley, Cpl. Steve Robinson, GWFC Eric White, Sgt. Jim Atchley Kneeling: Cpl. Greg Wade, K-9 Trigg Not pictured: Sgt. David Ruddell, Secretary Shannon Boyd \nThe Region V Law Enforcement Division is comprised of twenty-nine counties in the southwest portion of the state with the headquarters located in Albany. Within the region, there are five large reservoirs, two major rivers, three smaller rivers, thirteen wildlife management areas, seven state parks, Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, and Ft. Benning Military Base. Currently, the region has twenty-six POST certified game wardens assigned to its' ranks with twenty-four assigned field responsibilities and Captain Rick Sellars and Sgt. Ellis Wynn assigned administrative responsibilities. The region also has two non-sworn administrative staff, Cindy Hynote the Administrative Assistant III, and Shannon Boyd the hourly secretary. Sgt. Ellis Wynn, AOC Cindy Hynote, Captain Rick Sellars \n44 \n \n The region's twenty-nine counties are divided into four work units; each supervised by a Sergeant. Sgt. Al Greer's Work Unit \nSgt. Greer and his staff, Cpl. Clint Martin and Cpl. Jesse Harrison. Sgt. Greer's work unit covers Marion, Macon, Schley, Dooly, Sumter, Crisp, Lee and Turner counties. Key points of interest are Georgia Veterans State Park, Lake Blackshear, Flint River WMA, Montezuma Bluffs Natural Area, Cordele Fish Hatchery and Fall Line WMA. Sgt. David Ruddell's Work Unit \nSgt. Ruddell's work unit covers Dougherty, Worth, Tift, Colquitt, Thomas and Brooks counties. Key points of interest are Lake Worth, Doerun Picture Plant Bog Natural Area, River Creek WMA, Chickasawhatchee WMA, DOT Mitigation sites and Albany Nursery WMA. \n45 \n \n Sgt. Bob Holley's Work Unit \nSgt. Holley and his staff, Cpl. Tony Cox, Game Warden First Class Steve Thomas and Ranger David Jones. Sgt. Holley's work unit covers Grady, Decatur, Seminole, Miller, Early, Mitchell, and Baker Counties. Key points of interest include Lake Seminole, Seminole State Park, Kolomoki Mounds State Park, Chickasawhatchee WMA, Silver Lake WMA, Lake Seminole WMA and Elmodel WMA. Sgt. Jim Atchley's Work Unit \nSgt. Jim Atchley and his staff, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Steve Robinson and GWFC Quinn Fogle. Sgt. Atchley's work unit covers Chattahoochee, Stewart, Webster, Quitman, Randolph, Terrell, Clay and Calhoun counties. Key points of interest include Chickasawhatchee WMA, Lake Walter F. George, Providence Canyon State Park, Florence Marina State Park, George Bagby State Park, Hannahatchee Creek WMA, Lake George WMA and Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge and Fort Benning Military Base. \n46 \n \n Region V staff received numerous awards and honors for their work throughout the year. \nGWFC Quinn Fogle being recognized at the annual Albany Exchange Club banquet as the region's game warden of the year by club president Gary Knight. \nGWFC Fogle was also recognized as the regions investigative game warden of the year following an investigation into the illegal killing of a trophy whitetail buck in Webster County. \nCpl. Jesse Harrison received the NWTF award. \nCpl. Tony Cox was selected as the Region V Waterfowl Enforcement Officer of the Year and he was subsequently selected as the 2018 Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award winner for the state. He dedicated 171 hours patrolling waterfowl habitat in Decatur, Seminole and Early Counties. Cpl. Cox's waterfowl patrols resulted in interactions with 198 hunters and the documentation of fifty-one quality cases and warnings. Highlights of Tony's activity include locating two out of season duck shoots that occurred in Seminole and Decatur Counties, one after-hours roost shoot, two shoots with persons over bag limits, and three baited ponds which resulted in nine adults being cited and verbal guidance being given to five persons under the age of seventeen. Cpl. Cox also issued citations for the taking of protected species, hunting from a moving vessel (rallying ducks), utilizing lead shot and other lesser offences. Tony confiscated nearly 60 ducks of various species during his patrols. \n47 \n \n Cpl. Tony Cox was also selected as the Region V Boating Safety Game Warden of the Year for his outstanding work in boating safety. Cpl. Cox dedicated 690 hours of effort towards providing the public with a safe environment on the waters in and around Lake Seminole. As a result, he checked 233 vessels for boating and other conservation related violations and documented over 75 violator contacts to include seven B.U.I.'s and two child endangerments. \nRegion V experienced several personnel changes this year \n Jon Penuel promoted to Cpl. in Mitchell County then transferred to the Cpl. position in Cook County in Region 6. \n Cpl. Tommy Daugherty transferred from Cook County in Region 6 to Brooks County in Region 5. \n Cpl. Greg Wade transferred from Colquitt County to Worth County.  Warden David Jones completed field training and laterally transferred to Colquitt \nCounty.  Jesse Harrison was promoted to Cpl. and transferred from Macon County to Crisp \nCounty.  Cpl. Robbie Griner retired on a medical disability after suffering a back injury. \nThe Law Enforcement Division was fortunately able to hire additional game wardens throughout the state this year, with Region V receiving nine new game wardens. These nine cadets completed POST basic training and entered the Game Warden Academy in July of 2018. \n Philip Stout is assigned to Calhoun County.  Ryan Cleveland is assigned to Early County.  Logan South is assigned to Lee County.  Dean Gibson is assigned to Marion County.  Kristie Carpenter is assigned to Tift County.  Clayvin Pickard is assigned to Clay County.  Brock Hoyt is assigned to Stewart County.  Taylor Brown is assigned to Baker County.  Bryan Price is assigned to Schley County. \nCadets Brock Hoyt and Clayvin Pickard during POST Basic Training at GPSTC. \n48 \n \n Region V New Equipment \n \nGWFC Steve Thomas displays his new 2017 F-150. This year, the Law Enforcement Division transitioned from marking their vehicles and vessels with state ranger to game warden. \n \nGWFC Eric White with a new Xtreme stick steer river boat. \n \nCadet Philip Stout and Cpl. Scott Carroll with their new Pathfinder 2300HPS patrol boat which is assigned to Lake Walter F. George. \nSgt. Bob Holley, AOC Cindy Hynote and GWFC Steve Thomas with the new Gator Trax boat which is assigned to Lake Seminole. Cindy was instrumental in the purchase of the boat which will be a tremendous asset on the lake. \n49 \n \n Contractors rework the Radium Springs tower at the region office. In an ongoing project, repeaters and towers throughout the region are being updated and replaced. \nGame Wardens in their communities Game Wardens continue to be involved in community activities, attending dinners with local groups and participating with various civic functions. \nCpl. Jesse Harrison with Crisp County Elementary School students. \nCpl. Clint Martin providing an environmental program at a local elementary school. \nCpl. Tony Cox facilitated the installation of SPLASH Campaign signs at several locations in his work area. The SPLASH campaign is an anti-drowning program initiated by first lady Sandra Deal and involves several public and private partners including the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. \n50 \n \n Game Wardens from Georgia and Alabama attend the annual Corps of Engineer Law Enforcement Meeting at Fort Gaines Corps office. This annual meeting allows the law enforcement agencies which have jurisdiction over the corps property a chance to meet and discuss items of importance. \nWardens participated in many programs at local schools this year, many requests were received for safety programs related to boating and water safety prior to children being released for the summer. \nCadet Logan South conducting a water safety program at Crisp County Elementary School. \nWardens David Jones and Eric White participate at an event sponsored by Big Jim's Bow Company. \n51 \n \n Game Warden David Jones (far right) guiding a successful turkey hunt on the Youth Mentored hunt sponsored by NWTF. \nSgt. Jim Atchley provides boat operations training to City of Albany Animal Control officers. \nCpl. Greg Wade with his K-9 Trigg conducting a program at a local school. \nWork Unit Activities Sgt. Greer, Cpl. Clint Martin, and Cpl. Jesse Harrison documented one hundred and six landowner complaints during hunting season. The section charged seven people with hunting deer at night. Cpl. Clint Martin charged one subject for hunting deer out of season, and apprehended an out of season dove shoot. Cpl. Jesse Harrison caught a subject who killed three turkeys prior to turkey season. Cpl. Martin and Cpl. Harrison worked two hunting incidents, one was a tree stand fall and the other was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the foot. Cpl. Martin and Cpl. Harrison worked a turtle trapping complaint in conjunction with the investigative unit, seizing twenty-seven illegal traps on Lake Blackshear and issuing a total of fifty eight citations to two subjects. During the boating season the section arrested seven subjects for boating under the influence on Lake Blackshear, and worked two boating incidences which had no injuries. \n52 \n \n Sgt. Bob Holley, Cpl. Tony Cox, Cpl. Jon Penuel and GWFC Steve Thomas spent three hundred and fourteen hours working a total of sixty-one complaints. Investigations into these complaints lead to the arrest of 29 persons for offences that included fishing and hunting without permission, night deer hunting, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of meth-amphetamine, possession of marijuana, collecting artifacts without permission and the possession of wildlife without a permit. During the hunting season these Game Wardens arrested five groups of night hunters that consisted of thirteen individuals, flagged six dove fields, shut down and cited hunters on three baited dove fields and confiscated three illegally taken bucks. During waterfowl season sixty-nine violator contacts were made for waterfowl hunting violations as game wardens apprehended hunters on five baited duck ponds, two out of season shoots and one after-hours roost shoot. Eighty-nine illegally taken ducks were confiscated throughout the season. During the alligator season eight non-permitted Florida hunters were cited for hunting alligators in Georgia waters. The Game Wardens worked eight reportable boating incidents that resulted in three injuries. Seven BUI arrests were made on the combined waters of Lake Seminole, Spring Creek and the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. \nSgt. Jim Atchley, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Steve Robinson, GWFC Quinn Fogle and Cadet Philip Stout documented 370 assists, 520 violations (including 5 BUI's and 3 convicted felons with firearms), confiscated 15 deer, 6 ducks, and 250 dove. The officers worked over 3700 hours of wildlife patrols, 492 hours of fishing patrols, 838 hours of boating enforcement and 712 hours in training. They conducted 428 patrols on state owned lands, 78 vessel patrols and worked 376 hours investigating 92 complaints. Cpl. Scott Carroll is serving as a POST instructor for Firearms, Environmental Law and Basic/Advanced ATV. He is also a CTTF and Honor Guard member and a FTO. Cpl. Steve Robinson is serving as a POST instructor for Wildlife ID and Basic/Advanced ATV and is also a CIRT Investigator. GWFC Quinn Fogle has been recognized as the Region V Game Warden of the year for the second year in a row and has completed an extensive investigation into a night hunting case charging ten individuals with eighty-nine charges for violating wildlife laws. \nGame Wardens continue to conduct investigations into illegal activities, working diligently to address landowner concerns and violations throughout the region. \nA site in Lee County on private property where illegal artifact digging has been taking place. \n53 \n \n Game Wardens received many complaints related to illegal dumping and burning of various materials as people attempt to avoid disposal fees at landfills. They worked closely with county code enforcement officers to curtail the activity. \nHousehold garbage and building materials illegally dumped in Worth County. \nWarden Eric White investigating an environmental complaint in Dougherty County. \nOil and filters illegally dumped and burned near Lake Worth in Dougherty County. \n54 \n \n Several boating access points were developed in the region, the one pictured below is Suttons Landing in Lee County. The ramp was named in honor of Marine Lance Cpl. Steven Sutton, a Lee County native, who was killed in Afghanistan. Ramps such as this are constructed through the Sport Fish Restoration Program and cooperative efforts with the DNR Fisheries Section using funds derived from the DingellJohnson Act. \nSuttons Landing in Lee County 55 \n \n Sgt. Ellis Wynn and GWFC Quinn Fogle responded to a wildfire in the campground on Hannahatchee Creek WMA. Three hunters staying at the campsite failed to extinguish their fire when they left to go hunting and the fire escaped, destroying their tent and gear and also threatening several other campers in the area. \nWaterfowl season was very productive across the region and wardens continued to address violations of hunting over bait, over the limit and boating safety. \nThe region had several snow events this season and hunters welcomed the winter weather. \nThe view from the Cromartie boat ramp on Lake Worth, as Game Wardens wait on duck hunters to come in following morning hunts. \nWardens David Jones and Cpl. Tony Cox with illegally taken wildlife they seized during an investigation in Decatur and Seminole Counties. \n56 \n \n Cpl. Jon Penuel with wood ducks he confiscated during a midDecember over bait case. \nSgt. Ellis Wynn listens for an early morning duck shoot in Baker County. 57 \n \n Cpl. Greg Wade with ducks seized following charges of shooting over bait. \nOn January 28th, Game Warden David Jones located a roost shoot where the violators had shot and left 39 hooded mergansers in the pond. \nSgt. Jim Atchley patrolling the swamps of Chickasawhatchee WMA for illegal activity. \n58 \n \n Mallard ducks have been harvested in increasing numbers throughout the region during the past several years. \nSgt. Bob Holley in the process of flagging a baited dove field in Early County. \nGWFC Steve Thomas enjoying a patrol on the backwaters of Lake Seminole. \nCpl. Daughtrey logged over 50 miles of foot patrols in Brooks County while searching for out of season turkey hunters and baited areas. Tommy caught eight subjects, hunting areas scattered throughout the county. With so many baited areas located, Tommy made use of the newly purchased Spartan trail cameras to assist with his surveillance efforts. One area he was watching was baited repeatedly throughout the season but no one was encountered during his follow up visits. Tommy decided to let the camera do the work and was rewarded when the hunter finally triggered the camera, late in the season. Without the camera, it would have been difficult to catch this particular subject. Tommy's efforts resulted in 15 turkey contacts and three confiscated turkeys for the season. Cpl. Tommy Daughtrey with a confiscated three bearded turkey which was killed over bait. \n59 \n \n Cadet Dean Gibson and Cpl. Clint Martin patrolling Lake Blackshear. \nDove hunting continues to be productive in the early season on manipulated sunflower and grain sorghum fields. \nGWFC Quinn Fogle completing some of the eighty-nine warrants associated with a night hunting investigation. \nFeral Hog hunting remains one of the more popular hunting sports and occurs 24/7 year-round. Hog hunting with dogs has generated many complaints related to hunting without permission. \n60 \n \n Cadet Ryan Cleveland meeting with park staff on Seminole State Park to discuss a complaint. \nWardens were busy during alligator season as hunters were encountered hunting both day and night. Wardens in Region V have to contend with three alligator seasons involving Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge is also located on the Chattahoochee River in both Alabama and Georgia and requires constant attention, as it is not open to alligator hunting. Georgia wardens also attended the Alabama Game and Fish annual alligator meeting to provide insight into both state's seasons. \nWarden David Jones with an illegally taken alligator he seized following an investigation. \nMay was a busy month for Game Wardens investigating poached alligators. Game Warden David Jones, with the assistance of Cpl. Greg Wade and GWFC Eric White, conducted investigations of two trophy-sized alligators that were killed illegally. The first case involved three subjects who shot a large alligator in the Ochlocknee River. The suspects were charged for hunting alligators out of season, possession of alligator parts, and selling alligator parts \nThe second alligator investigation involved five subjects who participated in the killing of a large alligator after it was caught on a baited hook. The subjects were charged for hunting alligators out of season, use of unlawful devices, possession of alligator parts, and littering. \n61 \n \n Search and Rescue Operations On the afternoon of April 5th members of Sgt. Jim Atchley's work unit were contacted by the Henry County Alabama Sheriff's Department to assist with the search for a boat and three passengers that went missing on Lake Walter F. George. The following day a debris field and one deceased victim was located. The game wardens utilized the towed sonar in a search that lasted five days and covered a search area of over a square mile due to the unknown location of the sinking. The boat and other two victims were eventually located and recovered in Alabama waters. \nSgt. Bob Holley, Cpl. Tony Cox and Cadet Ryan Cleveland responded to an incident involving an airboat which flooded and sank on Lake Seminole in early April. \n62 \n \n In September, a small johnboat sank on the Flint River resulting in one fatality. Game Wardens spent the next several days in inclement weather searching the river with sonar in an attempt to locate the victim. \nGame Wardens prepare to deploy the towed sonar at the scene of a drowning on the Flint River. \nOne of two bass boats involved in a collision during the FLW bass tournament on Lake Seminole and investigated by Cpl.s Tony Cox and Steve Robinson. \nOn June 9th a kayaker who wasn't wearing a PFD and was unable to swim, drowned after he fell out of his kayak during a storm on Lake Blackshear. \n63 \n \n Game Wardens were busy attending training throughout the year Region V AOC II Hynote and hourly secretary Shannon Boyd are fingerprinted as part of her GCIC requirements. \nRegion V staff at fall firearms training. \nRetired Sergeants (L-R) Danny Bishop, John Pettis and Leonard Stuart attended firearms qualification this year. \nCpl. Tommy Daughtrey assists Cadet Kristie Carpenter with her online training. \n64 \n \n Long Line rescue training was conducted at Providence Canyon State Park in April and involved parks staff, local first responders and game wardens. \nPT Instructor Cpl. Jesse Harrison (left) demonstrates the proper technique for performing push-ups during PT assessment as other officers follow his lead. \n65 \n \n Region VI- Metter (Southeast) \nKneeling  L-R: Cpl. Dan Stiles, GWFC Sam Williams, GW Joseph Cowart, GWFC Clint Jarriel, GWFC Bobby Sanders, GW Christopher Thompson, Cpl. Jason Shipes, GWFC Daniel North Sitting  L-R: Sgt. Patrick Dupree, Cpl. Mark Pool, Sgt. James McLaughlin, Capt. Scott Klingel, Sgt. Jon Barnard, GWFC Patrick Gibbs, Cpl. Chase Altman, GWFC Jason Miller, Cpl. John Stokes Standing  L-R: Sgt. Morty Wood, GWFC Randell Meeks, GWFC Allen Mills, GWFC Rodney Horne, GWFC Judd Sears, Cpl. Jon Penuel, Sgt. Brian Hobbins, Cpl. Mike Wilcox, Cpl. Shaymus McNeely, Cpl. Kevin Joyce. Inset: Sgt. Chris Moore, Cpl. Tim Hutto and GWFC Jordan Crawford. \nThe Region VI office in Metter services 32 of Georgia's coastal plains counties and covers over 14,000 square miles. This includes 11 river systems that range from the mighty Savannah River down to the black waters of the St. Mary River. Region VI Wardens patrol over 142,000 acres of public lands that includes: six state parks, eighteen WMA properties, four PFA properties, various public dove fields and many VPA properties. Personnel The office is staffed by Region Supervisor Captain Scott Klingel, Administrative Sgt. Chris Moore, Administrative Assistant 2 April Thrift, and Secretary Christina Colquitt. \nAA3 April Thrift and Secretary Christina Colquitt \n66 \n \n Personnel Changes  GW Judd Sears transferred from Region VII to Pierce/Bacon Counties. In October 2017.  Cpl. Tommy Daughtrey transferred from Cook County to Region V in January 2018.  GWFC Patrick Gibbs transferred from Region VII to Evans County in March 2018.  GW Randell Meeks transferred from Emanuel/Candler Counties to Treutlen County in March 2018.  GW Chris Thompson transferred from Atkinson/Lanier Counties to Irwin County in March 2018.  GW Lamar Burns transferred from Region VI Telfair County to Region IV in March 2018.  Cpl. Jon Penuel transferred from Region V to Cook County in April 2018. \nNew Hires (L to R) \nSgt. Chris Moore with the Region VI Cadets \n Jason Bennett assigned to Lowndes County in January 2018.  Cameron Dyal assigned to Jeff Davis County in January 2018.  Johnny Robinette assigned to Lanier County in April 2018.  Ben Reese assigned to Emanuel County in April 2018.  Thomas Sibley assigned to Berrien County in January 2018.  John Kennedy assigned to Wilcox County in April 2018. Promotions GW Judd Sears promoted to Game Warden First Class on March 1, 2018. \n67 \n \n Sadly, there was a loss in the region with K-9 Briar DNR528K passing away in January. \nBriar in action. \nRegion Personnel Awards  Cpl. Kevin Joyce Region VI Ranger of the Year.  Cpl. Kevin Joyce Region VI Waterfowl Officer of Year.  Cpl. Kevin Joyce Region VI Most LED Tags Sold  GWFC Jason Miller Region VI Investigative Ranger of the Year.  GWFC Daniel North Region VI NWTF Officer of the Year.  GWFC Bobby Sanders Statewide Torch Award winner.  GWFC Bobby Sanders Region VI Hunter Ed Instructor of the Year.  Cpl. Jason Shipes 2017 James Darnell Award Winner. 68 \n \n Continuing Education and Specialized Training In the interest of growing our personnel, DNR LED participates in several leadership development programs. The following Region VI Wardens participating in the programs are: Sgt. James McLaughlin attended classes at Columbus State University Command College and was selected to be in the 3rd DNR Leadership Academy. Corporals Mike Wilcox, Tim Hutto, Jason Shipes, Kevin Joyce and Mark Pool attended classes at Columbus State University Professional Management Program (PMP). As technology advances so does the means for investigating the hunting and boating incidents across the state. GWFC Clint Jarriel and GWFC Jordan Crawford completed the IHEA Hunting Incident Investigation Academy in Missouri. To maintain the quality of training that our officers receive, it is pertinent to develop in-house instructors. Region VI is proud to present Cpl. Shaymus McNeely and Cpl. Dan Stiles as the newest POST certified instructors. Night Hunting Timber tracts, river corridors and agricultural crop land make up a large portion of the private lands inside the region. These rural environments create a prime setting for illegal night hunting and other forms of poaching. Region VI had another successful year in apprehending night hunters, 81 persons were apprehended and a total of 196 violations were documented. Air support was used for a Bacon County detail that resulted in eight persons cited for a total of 18 violations. In many cases the stop leads to more than hunting violations. These totals do not include crop damage permit violations that were also documented by the Region VI Wardens. \nMultiple weapons removed from a vehicle during a Toombs County night hunt stop by GWFC Bobby Sanders and GWFC Clint Jarriel. \nCpl. Dan Stiles discovered more than a weapon during a poaching stop. Along with the deer and weapon, a bag of marijuana was also taken as evidence. \n69 \n \n Investigations Along with patrols of their assigned area, Game Wardens also respond to tips and complaints received via the Ranger Hotline, social media and sometimes straight from the public. Region VI had multiple investigations into illegal harvesting of deer along with other game and fish violations. \nGWFC Jason Miller received information of someone taking over the limit. A two-month long investigation by Miller, with assistance from Cpl. Shaymus McNeely, led to multiple charges in two counties against a father and his two sons. A total of 31 racks were confiscated as evidence in the case. \nGWFC Jordan Crawford received several tips from citizens about a large buck being taken illegally in Effingham County. After a month-long investigation, Crawford charged the violator with hunting without a license, hunting without a big game license and hunting without a harvest record. The deer was also confiscated. \nGWFC Allen Mills confiscated an illegally taken buck. The violator had already taken two bucks earlier in the season. \n70 \n \n In November 2017, GWFC Jordan Crawford, assisted by GWFC Jack Thain and K-9 Case, conducted an investigation that led to the arrest of an individual for nine counts of hunting related charges and two felony counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Two guns and two deer were confiscated. \nGWFC Jason Miller received information about someone who was in possession of a dead bald eagle. Miller, Sgt. Brian Hobbins, and an investigator from the Bulloch County SO went to the residence and interviewed two suspects. During the investigation, it was determined the suspects \nwere also in possession of an illegally taken duck and two illegally taken deer. Multiple charges were filed against the suspects. The eagle and duck were both seized as evidence and were donated to an educational institution. One subject paid $2000 in fines and was sentenced to 60 days in jail. The second subject paid $1000 and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. \nIn September 2017, Game Wardens Daniel North and Joseph Cowart, and Cpl. Jason Shipes observed vehicles parked near a small pond in Ware County. Upon stopping to investigate it was discovered that the juveniles were attempting to catch an alligator. The violations were addressed, and their poaching equipment seized. \n71 \n \n Dove Season Region VI Game Wardens conducted many pre-season dove field inspections. Some inspections were from tips others were from normal patrols. Several fields were posted and dove shoots were not allowed until all regulations were met. Even with the posting of many baited fields, several violations were still documented during the season. \nGWFC Clint Jarriel with 45 doves confiscated from an illegal dove shoot in Montgomery County. GWFC Bobby Sanders assisted in the case. \nWaterfowl While Region VI does not have large impoundments, it has 11 river systems flowing through it. Those river systems, along with numerous farm ponds and remote swamps, makes locating waterfowl hunting infractions a challenge. \nRegion VI's Waterfowl Ranger of the Year, Cpl. Kevin Joyce, had a successful year in catching multiple violators during waterfowl season. Evidence photos from several illegal duck shoots from Montgomery and Treutlen counties. \n72 \n \n Ducks confiscated by Sgt. Brian Hobbins and Cpl. Mike Wilcox. Seven hunters were charged with hunting waterfowl after hours and one was charged with taking over the limit. The 22 ducks were donated to a local charity that provides meals for homeless shelters. \nOn Thanksgiving Day 2017, Sgt. Patrick Dupree and GW Daniel North located an illegal duck shoot in Echols County where two of the five hunters fled the scene. Cpl. Tim Hutto and his K-9 Titan responded, along with Cpl. Jason Shipes and GW Joseph Cowart. The additional hunters were identified and returned to the location. Violations of hunting without federal waterfowl stamp, hunting ducks over bait, hunting without Georgia migratory bird stamp, possession over the daily bag limit, hunting without a license, hunting with unplugged shotgun and interference with the performance of a Ranger's duties were documented. Fortythree illegally-killed ducks were confiscated. \nTurkey Season After a short break following deer season, turkey season brings warmer weather and the renewed challenge of finding turkey bait. \nCpl. Tim Hutto found this blind in front of turkey bait in Berrien County in March 2018. \n73 \n \n Game Wardens Allen Mills and Chris Thompson apprehended an individual for killing these three gobblers over bait in Telfair County. \nProtecting the resources on state lands During the last few years, WRD has added new lands to those that are managed by DNR. Several WMA's grew in size, while several new properties added to the number of acres patrolled by the region's Wardens. Game Wardens patrol public lands for hunting, fishing and boating, as well as for other activities that range from illegal use of ATV's to drug possession. Several of these properties have palmetto plants on them and the palmetto berries are popular in the homeopathic medicine market. Region VI Wardens work with other state agencies, such as Georgia Forestry Commission, to protect the public lands. Multiple groups have been arrested on various properties for illegally picking the berries. \nA group of palmetto berry thieves caught by Region VI Game Wardens on state property off US Highway 1 in Ware County. \nCadet Cameron Dyal checking a successful turkey hunter on Big Hammock WMA with GWFC Patrick Gibbs. \n74 \n \n GWFC Patrick Gibbs on ATV and GW Randell Meeks patrol Moody Forest WMA for illegal use of ATVs. \nResponse to Natural Disasters As in the past, DNR LED offers their unique skillset and equipment to assist during and after natural disasters. The Region VI office was transformed into the Incident Command Post for emergency response operations during Hurricane Irma. Irma's path shifted west at the last minute but still did significant damage to the coast of Georgia. Region VI Wardens, along with other DNR employees, responded with Strike Teams and delivered supplies to the stricken areas. A winter ice storm hit South Georgia in early January and DNR LED was the only law enforcement agency able to respond to calls in the area by using our 4WD vehicles and ATV's. \nGWFC Daniel North removing a fallen tree from the roadway in Statenville. \nGame Wardens Sam Williams, Joseph Cowart and Daniel North responded to southern Charlton County and utilized their patrol boat to check on residents. Several people had been trapped in their homes when the St. Mary's River flooded a nearby neighborhood due to the rainfall from Hurricane Irma. \n75 \n \n Community Involvement \nAlong with the above activity, Region VI Wardens have responded to search and rescue requests, hunting incidents, boating incidents and drownings throughout the area. Wardens realize the value of being involved with their assigned areas. Most Wardens do several Informational and Educational programs during the year for their local school systems, local civic clubs and local governments. Many participate in programs that encourage hunting, fishing and other outdoor activity. \nDuring March 2018, Sgt. Patrick Dupree, Sgt. Morty Wood, Cpl. Tim Hutto, and GW Daniel North assisted the NWTF Chapter Lowndes Long Spurs with their annual youth turkey school and hunt. Attending game wardens provided classroom education to the kids about hunting and firearm safety, then served as hunting guides to the youth the following day. Several of the kids were successful in harvesting a turkey. \nIn December 2017, Cpl. Mark Pool and GW Joseph Cowart assisted with a Becoming an Outdoors Woman event near Fargo. The women chose between Okefenokee Swamp fishing and handgun hunting for deer and feral hogs. The officers served as fishing and hunting guides for the women that attended the event. \n76 \n \n With the passage of HB208, more Game Warden positions were approved and funded. Region VI officers have been to high schools, colleges and job fairs in efforts to recruit the next generation of Game Wardens. \nIn January 2018, Cpl. Tim Hutto and GWFC Daniel North set up a booth at the Georgia Department of Labor office in Valdosta where several local high schools attended a career fair. GWs North and Hutto were able to provide information and answer questions concerning a career with Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division to about 400 attendees. \nEach year, the LED detaches Game Wardens to assist the Governor's Drug Task Force. \nRegion VI Cpl. Stokes is shown with marijuana plants that were seized during a Task Force operation. \n77 \n \n Region VII- Brunswick (Coastal) \nFront Row -L-R: GWFC Jack Thain, K-9 Case, Cpl. Randy Aspinwall, Sgt. Mark Carson, Sgt. Chris Ridley, Sgt. Cindy Miller, Sgt. Damon Winters, Sgt. Phillip Scott, Captain Bob Lynn. Second Row - L-R: GWFC David Brady, Chaplin Randy Lamb, Cpl. Kate Hargrove, Cpl. Jay Morgan, Chaplin Greg Loskoski, GWFC Tim Morris Third Row - L-R: Cpl. Kiel Toney, GWFC Colte Shaske, Cpl. Buster Cooper, Cpl. Bobby White, Cpl. John Evans, GWFC Doug Chambers Fourth Row - L-R: GWFC Patrick Gibbs, GWFC Jay Bright, GW Josh Cockrell, Cpl. Barry Britt, GWFC Mark Day Fifth Row - L-R: AOC Janette Senior, Mechanic 3 Gary Denis, Part-time Secretary Rhonda Knight, License Clerk Kay Readdick \nRegion VII is comprised of three inland counties and six coastal counties (Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, Long, Wayne, McIntosh, Brantley, Glynn, and Camden). We focus heavily on the commercial fishing industry and offshore Federal fisheries. This year wasn't another typical year for the Game Wardens in Region VII. Our efforts ranged from our \"normal\" hunting and fishing violations to assisting other agencies with crowd control to numerous illegal commercial fishing violations to Hurricanes. \nRecruiting was a big priority for the Division throughout the year and Region VII Game Wardens certainly did their part. Cpl. Kate Hargrove at a Region VII recruiting event. \n78 \n \n On the morning of August 28th, 2017, Game Wardens Cpl. Bill Bryson and Cpl. Buster Cooper responded to a plane crash that occurred in North Bryan County near the Bulloch and Effingham County lines and close to the Ogeechee River. Cpl.'s Bryson and Cooper responded with an ATV and a Jon boat to assist the other responding agencies, not knowing where the plane crashed. When they arrived near the area, the crash site had been located. The two Game Wardens remained on scene, assisting, until the three deceased persons were removed from the plane. All Game Wardens in Region VII prepared for Hurricane Irma. She entered Georgia on September 11th and caused damage throughout Georgia. Game Wardens throughout Georgia assisted local counties with debris removal/ road clearing and security patrols. During these patrols over 65 cases of water and multiple cases MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) were given out to residents that needed assistance. \nOn September 17th, Cpl. John Evans and Ranger Judd Sears patrolled the St Mary's river in the Flea Hill community to check on residents that were flooded. During this patrol, they received a call from a subject that wanted to be taken out to high ground. Cpl. Evans and Ranger Sears picked the subject up from his residence by vessel and transported him out of the flooded area. \n79 \n \n On October 7th, Game Warden Patrick Gibbs checked two fishermen taking their boat out at Beards Bluff landing. The fishermen had 31 largemouth bass in their cooler. After talking with the fishermen, Gibbs discovered that they were aware of the 10/person creel limit on bass. Gibbs also discovered 4 bass that were undersized. Violations were addressed for keeping over the creel limit and possession of undersized fish. The fish were confiscated and donated to a needy family \nOn November 17th, Cpl. John Evans was patrolling for night hunting activity when he noticed someone walking the edge of the clear cut he was watching. Cpl. Evans snuck around to the other side of the cut and used a slash pile to close the distance between him and the suspect. Once he was within about 40 yards, Cpl. Evans turned on his flashlight and confronted the suspect. The man immediately threw down the rifle he was carrying and started trying to distance himself from the gun. Cpl. Evans searched him for weapons and asked about the gun. He denied having a gun at first and then kept saying it wasn't his and he was just getting it for a friend. Cpl. Evans ran a criminal history on the suspect and found him to be a convicted felon. He was arrested and charged with hunting deer at night and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. \nOn November 18th, Game Warden David Brady completed an investigation regarding a suspect from Florida that had killed a deer at night in Georgia. Brady and Game Warden Colte Shaske met with Florida Fish and Wildlife and conducted interviews of the suspects. The investigation yielded multiple charges for hunting deer at night, hunting big game from a public road and hunting from a vehicle. FWC also had multiple charges on the suspects and felony Lacey Act charges are being considered. \nOn November 24th, Cpl. John Evans was working a night deer hunting detail with several other game wardens. Cpl. Evans observed a truck shine the corn field he was watching. Cpl. Evans followed the truck and stopped it as it was pulling into a drive way. There were two people in the truck and a third standing in the yard that they were coming to pick up. Cpl. Evans identified the driver and passenger and sent the third man back in the house. The driver was the same suspect Cpl. Evans had caught just 10 days earlier hunting from the road, without orange, without licenses, without permission, and running dogs on unpermitted property. The suspects had a 12-gauge shotgun and a .22 rifle on this night. Both were charged with Hunting deer at night, Hunting from a vehicle, and Hunting from a public road. \nOn Sunday, January 21st, Game Wardens GWFC Toney and Morris, and Sgt. Scott patrolled the salt water areas of Bryan and Liberty Counties. Boats were checked inshore and offshore for boating and fishing violations. While offshore of Ossabaw Island a vessel with several people on board was found to have 11 undersized black sea bass. The federal size limit for black sea bass is 13 inches. \n80 \n \n A second vessel was boarded and found to have several legal fish caught offshore and a red drum also caught offshore. Red drum are illegal to possess in federal waters. Another vessel the Game Wardens boarded had primarily caught black sea bass. Most of the fish were of legal size except for two that were well under the 13-inch size limit. These cases were turned over to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Officer for prosecution. \nOn April 30th, Cpl. Kate Hargrove, GWFC Jay Bright, GWFC Tim Morris, and NOAA Enforcement Officer Ben Hughes conducted an offshore Red Snapper patrol. This patrol focuses on commercial fishing boats in Federal waters. Captain Steven Turner and GWFC Jack Thain also assisted with this patrol by flying the area to help locate boats fishing off the coast of Georgia. On June 9th, Game Wardens David Brady and John Evans were conducting a late evening patrol on Turtle River when they observed a small fishing vessel heading toward a local ramp. The Game Wardens stopped the vessel and upon inspection discovered the two men to be in possession of 11 undersize sharks. Both subjects were cited for possession of undersize fish and the sharks were seized as evidence. Later that night, Game Warden David Brady was checking St. Andrews Beach off Jekyll Island for subjects illegally seining for food shrimp. After observing a group of men that were pulling a beach sein and watching them sort the shrimp they were catching, Brady made contact with the group to investigate further. After interviewing the men and inspecting the catch, the 5 men were cited for Seining during closed season (food shrimp). During the 2017 hunting season, Game Wardens in Region VII conducted numerous night hunting patrols. These patrols included catching 20 groups of night hunters, 50 people were cited with 133 citations and 19 warnings. \n81 \n \n During this year, Region VII had excellent officers performing above and beyond expectations. GWFC David Brady was the Region Ranger of the Year, Cpl. John Evans was the Region Boating Officer of the Year, GWFC Tim Morris was the Torch Award winner, and GWFC Patrick Gibbs was the Region Investigator of the Year and NWTF officer of the year. \nRegion VII had personnel changes throughout the year. RNG Josh Cockrell transferred from Chatham County to Region IV, RNG Judd Sears transferred from Brantley County to Region VI, and GWFC Patrick Gibbs transferred to Region VI. Cpl. Buster Cooper retired from the Chatham County work section opening a promotion for Kiel Toney to be promoted to Cpl. in Chatham. \nRegion VII is the only Region capable of providing a unique opportunity to assist the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by participating in a Joint Enforcement Agreement (JEA). Officers enforce Federal Fishing laws and regulations for NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement from 3 miles to 200 miles offshore of Georgia's Coast. The Joint Agreement #16 between Georgia DNR and NOAA office of Law Enforcement called for GADNR enforcement personnel to provide a total of 2,309 hours of marine law enforcement or related work under the agreement. The at-sea personnel hours were 985 hours with 405 vessel hours, 173 man hours for dockside inspections, 41 hours of aircraft hours and 41 hours of aircraft personnel hours. Additionally, Georgia had 3 Execution Priorities. Execution Priority 1 was TED Enforcement. There were 192 man hours and 64 hours of at-sea offshore large vessel patrol hours dedicated to this priority. Execution Priority 2 was dedicated to Red Snapper Patrols. There were 168 man hours and 56 hours of at-sea large vessel patrols dedicated to priority 2. Priority 3 was IUU (Illegal, Unregulated, Unreported) enforcement. There were 64 man hours dedicated to IUU enforcement. These patrols were assisting NOAA Enforcement Officers with inspection of containers at the Georgia Ports. \nGame Wardens detected a number of Federal Fisheries violations including over the limit of fish, possession of illegal species, illegal nets, and Turtle Excluder Device (TED) violations. These documented violations were turned over to NOAA for prosecution or handled in local courts. \n82 \n \n Investigative Unit \nThe Investigative Unit (IU) is comprised of two full-time investigators. The IU is responsible for undercover investigations, Special Permit Unit (SPU) inspections and violations, the administration of the Critical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT) and the Marine Theft Unit (MTU). The IU depends heavily on assistance from uniformed Game Wardens. Statewide, 13 Game Wardens perform a collateral duty called \"Regional Investigator\". Regional Investigators assist the IU with various duties. \nUndercover Investigations The Region Investigators are full-time Game Wardens who have received training in undercover operations and equipment. They perform this collateral duty in addition to their everyday Game Warden duties. The primary function of the Investigative Unit is to provide uniform Game Wardens with investigative support. The Investigative Unit is responsible for plain-clothes and long-term investigations. \nLast year, the Investigative Unit conducted and managed over 281 investigations and calls for assistance from the field. These investigations were comprised of intelligence gathering, buy/bust, and both short and long-term investigations. The focus of many of these investigations included the sale or possession of wildlife and wild animals. These violations are difficult to address without the aid of undercover officers. \nCritical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT) Georgia has 16 CIRT investigators assigned throughout the state. CIRT investigates all fatality and serious injury boating and hunting incidents. Each investigator receives specialized training on investigating and presenting these cases. Last year, CIRT investigated 10 boating, six hunting, and two State Park incidents. These incidents resulted in 12 fatalities. \nMarine Theft Unit (MTU) The primary function of the MTU is to assist law enforcement officers in the field. The MTU conducts computer database and offline searches, locates hidden hull identification numbers, and assists with locating and recovering stolen vessels. The MTU also serves as the point of contact for customers as well as court systems related to the abandoned vessel process. Last year, the MTU received 81 abandoned vessel/stolen boat requests from the public and fielded numerous phone calls related to the abandoned vessel process. \nSpecial Permits Unit \nThe Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division Special Permits Unit is responsible for permitting captive wildlife and wild animals in addition to some specialty-take permits such as Scientific Collection Permits. The Unit also coordinates inspections on all permitted wild animal facilities throughout the state. This past year, the Special Permits unit issued 2,087 permits. \n83 \n \n K-9 Unit \nThe Division continues to use K-9s to enhance patrol efforts by Conservation Rangers and provide assistance to other agencies for man tracking and article searches. The four new K-9s put in service in 2017 are doing a good job in their respective regions with each playing a part in numerous cases over the past year. Georgia currently has seven K9/Handler teams across the state. \n2018 K-9/Handler Teams \nSgt. Jeremy Bolen and K-9 Ruger Cpl. Brooks Varnell and K-9 Taz Cpl. Tim Hutto and K-9 Titan GWFC Eric Isom and K-9 Colt Cpl. Greg Wade and K-9 Trigg GWFC Keith Page and K-9 Rio GWFC Jack Thain and K-9 Case \n84 \n \n Training Unit \nIn early 2018, the Division hired 32 new Game Warden cadets and one Game Warden pilot. Revenue generated as a result of the passing of HB 208 in 2017, which increased hunting, fishing, and recreational license fees, provided salary and benefit funding, as well as a full complement of equipment for 17 of the new hires. This funding will also provide money for additional personnel, equipment and operational costs in the future. \nAll 32 of the cadets are scheduled to graduate on October 19, 2018 at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center from the 32nd Game Warden Academy. During the 25-week academy, cadets become P.O.S.T. certified and receive a wide variety of Conservation Law Enforcement specific training. They will then complete six months of field training in their assigned counties throughout the state. The Academy includes 80 hours of NASBLA BOAT course training for BCM (Boat Crew Member) and BOSAR (Boat Operator Search and Rescue). The Division's in-house NASBLA certified instructors will deliver these comprehensive courses at Lake Walter F. George. Water survival training will also be taught during the 32nd Academy. Cadets will swim approximately three miles during the training, and through most of the swimming exercises, they will wear clothes, gun belt, shoes, and a ballistic vest to provide the most realistic situations possible. \nDuring the year, in-service training for all Game Wardens statewide included NASBLA Seated Battery Standardized Field Sobriety refresher, Alzheimer's Response, De-escalation, Use-of-Force, Firearms, Dynamics of Citizen/Police Encounters, Domestic Violence Awareness, and Cultural Awareness Training. \nAll Game Wardens statewide and front line responders from other Georgia DNR Divisions completed a 3-day, 24-hour Critical Incident Management class. The class, coordinated by the Law Enforcement Division with instruction delivered by instructors from each division, encouraged teamwork and interdivisional collaboration. The class used curriculum developed by the IACP and incorporated tabletop exercises with scenarios that are typical for a Natural Resource Agency response. \nL-R: Training \u0026 Dev. Spec. I Mandy James, Lt. Sam O'Neal, PT Secretary Debra Hollar \n85 \n \n Aviation Unit \nL-R: Larry Rogers, Capt. Steven Turner, Maj. Doc Watson, Capt. Ed Watkins, John Peberdy \nThe LED Aviation Support Unit supports all state agencies and all DNR Divisions, utilizing two Bell 407 helicopters, one Bell L4 and a fixed wing Quest Kodiak 100 aircraft. The year started out with a busy July. The first support was for Operation Dry Water over the July 4th weekend, conducting aerial patrols over Lakes Allatoona and Lanier. The Aviation Unit flew 278 hours supporting the Division's Game Wardens and the Division's core mission of protecting the states waterways and woodland areas. This consisted of flying support throughout the hunting season, from early fall through early spring. Game Wardens were flown on county surveys looking for baited food plots, duck ponds and illegal shrimping along the Georgia coast. Flight support was also provided for Operation Dry Water, night deer poaching/spotlighting patrols, and searches for missing person and drowning victims across the state. Also, support was provided for Hurricane Irma and numerous tornado damaged areas across the state. \n86 \n \n Throughout the year, the Unit provided aviation support for the Wildlife Resource Division (WRD) for surveys of bald eagles, kestrel, sandhill cranes and waterfowl. Captain Ed Watkins flew these same flights along the Georgia coast in addition to surveys for sea turtles, dolphins and the tagging of manatee. In addition to the WRD surveys, the Aviation Unit flew 46 hours for prescribed burns on the State WMA's during the late winter months of January through March 2018. \nThe Aerial Observer program has proven to be very successful. The additional trained aerial crew members in northern Georgia have expedited the response time for search and rescue (SAR) requests in some cases. This success has advanced the scheduled training of four additional aerial observers in central Georgia. The Aviation Unit conducted six long line rescues and flew 97 hours for search and rescue (SAR), drownings and missing person missions with aerial observers. \nThe TASE 500 camera system equipped Kodiak Quest fixed-wing aircraft, with trained camera operators has greatly enhanced the Aviation Unit's capability to support Game Wardens in conducting their primary mission of protecting the states waterways and woodland areas. This capability was evident in the increased apprehension of illegal night poachers throughout the state this past year. \nThe Unit was very fortunate at year's end receiving funding for a new Bell 407. This 407 will replace the 23 year old Bell L-4, enhancing safety and increasing the Unit's capabilities, while lowering training and maintenance costs for the Division. \n87 \n \n Honor Guard \nFront L-R: Cpl. Josh Chamber, Cpl. Travis Sweat, GWFC David Brady, Cpl. Ben Payne, Cpl. Derek Dillard, Cpl. Jeremy Bolen, Cpl. Scott Carroll Back L-R: GWFC Clint Jarriel, Cpl. Bob Holley, GWFC Cody Jones, GWFC Micheal Crawley, Cpl. Brooks Varnell, Cpl. Robbie Griner, Cpl. Chase Altman \nHonor Guard Details  August 21, 2017: Honor Guard members Cpl. Ben Payne, Cpl. Scott Carroll, GWFC David Brady and GWFC Clint Jarriel presented the colors at the annual POAG Conference in Savannah.  October 25, 2017: Honor Guard member Sgt. Derek Dillard and Lt. Col. Jeff Weaver conducted a presentation to the DNR Board on the Law Enforcement Division's Honor Guard in Atlanta.  December 18, 2017: Honor Guard members Sgt. Derek Dillard and Cpl. Cody Jones participated in the visitation, funeral and graveside service for retired Parks Manager Ralph Turner in Hiawassee.  May 22, 2018: Honor Guard members Sgt. Jeremy Bolen and Cpl. Travis Sweat participated in the 2018 Public Safety Memorial Ceremony at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth.  June 11, 2018: Honor Guard members Sgt. Derek Dillard, Cpl. Brooks Varnell, Cpl. Travis Sweat and Cpl. Cody Jones presented the colors at the FOP State Convention at Unicoi State Park in Helen. \n88 \n \n Chaplains \nL-R: Charles Houston, Jr., Joel Vinson, Chip Strickland, Daryl Brown, Tac Coley, Marc Crandlemire, Rudy Ross, Brandon Brooks Not Pictured: Gregory Loskoski, John Haney, Randy Lamb \nThe 11 members of the DNR Law Enforcement Division Chaplain Corps currently serve four of the state's seven Regions. The DNR Chaplains are non-sworn volunteers who support the mission of DNR in providing a source of strength to sworn and non-sworn members of the Agency, their families, and the community. The program supports employees in the handling of crisis situations, comforts victims and their families when incidents occur, and provides counseling and other ministerial functions that may be needed. \n89 \n \n Promotions: \nLt. Wanda Roberts Sgt. Jeremy Bolen Cpl. Jesse Harrison Cpl. Kiel Toney Cpl. Tim Vickery Cpl. Jon Penuel GWFC 1 Bethany Gilbert GWFC 1 Randell Meeks GWFC 1 Mark Moyer GWFC 1 Dan Schay GWFC 1 Jason Harrison GWFC 1 Timothy Morris Game Warden 2 Tommy Crabb Game Warden 2 Lamar Burns Game Warden 2 Ken Lalumiere Game Warden 2 Kalem Burns Game Warden 2 Frank Pucci Game Warden 2 Travis Shrader Game Warden 2 Ryan Locke Game Warden 2 Christopher J. Hall Game Warden 2 Chris Kernahan Game Warden 2 Nolan Callaway Game Warden 2 Charles G. Follin Game Warden 2 Ethan J. Franklin Game Warden 2 Stephen T. Payne Game Warden 2 Joseph L. Cowart Game Warden 2 Christopher M. Thompson Game Warden 2 Jonathan Segars \nRetirements: \nCapt. Wade Law Sgt. Jim Bradfield Cpl. Robbie Griner Cpl. Josh Chambers Cpl. Hugh \"Buster\" Cooper \n \nActivity Summary \nHunter Ed Programs I\u0026E Programs Boating Safety Programs Hunter Development \n \nFY2018 130 \n1,541 \n254 177 \n \nTotal Programs \nWater SAR Cases Water SAR Hours Vessels Assisted Water Persons Asst. \n \n2,102 \n212 3,110 \n375 738 \n \nLand SAR Cases Land SAR Hours Land Persons Asst. \n \n163 1,405 \n325 \n \nHunting Incidents \n \n36 \n \nBoating Incidents \n \n143 \n \nDrownings \n \n71 \n \nHunting License Checks Fishing License Checks Comm. License Checks \n \n20,817 29,031 \n409 \n \nTotal License Checks 50,257 \n \nBoat Checks \n \n26,279 \n \nBoating Contacts Hunting Contacts Fishing Contacts Trapping Contacts Environmental Contacts Other Contacts \n \n5,085 5,914 3,080 \n141 \n288 2,629 \n \nTotal Contacts \n \n17,137 \n \n90 \n \n 91 \n \n "},{"id":"dlg_ggpd_y-ga-bn200-pl3-bs1-bl3-b2017-belec-p-btext","title":"Law Enforcement Division FY 2017 annual report","collection_id":"dlg_ggpd","collection_title":"Georgia Government Publications","dcterms_contributor":["Georgia. Department of Natural Resources. Law Enforcement Division"],"dcterms_spatial":["United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018"],"dcterms_creator":["Georgia. Department of Natural Resources. Law Enforcement Division"],"dc_date":["2017"],"dcterms_description":["This pulbication is the annual report for the Law Enforcement Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources."],"dc_format":["application/pdf"],"dcterms_identifier":null,"dcterms_language":["eng"],"dcterms_publisher":["Social Circle, Ga. : Georgia. Department of Natural Resources. Law Enforcement Division"],"dc_relation":null,"dc_right":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dcterms_is_part_of":null,"dcterms_subject":["Georgia. Department of Natural Resources. Law Enforcement Division--Periodicals","Wildlife management--Law and legislation--Georgia--Periodicals","Recreation areas--Georgia--Periodicals"],"dcterms_title":["Law Enforcement Division FY 2017 annual report"],"dcterms_type":["Text"],"dcterms_provenance":["University of Georgia. Map and Government Information Library"],"edm_is_shown_by":["https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:dlg_ggpd_y-ga-bn200-pl3-bs1-bl3-b2017-belec-p-btext"],"edm_is_shown_at":["https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:dlg_ggpd_y-ga-bn200-pl3-bs1-bl3-b2017-belec-p-btext"],"dcterms_temporal":null,"dcterms_rights_holder":null,"dcterms_bibliographic_citation":null,"dlg_local_right":null,"dcterms_medium":["annual reports"],"dcterms_extent":null,"dlg_subject_personal":null,"iiif_manifest_url_ss":null,"dcterms_subject_fast":null,"fulltext":"Commissioner Mark Williams \n \nDirector Colonel Eddie \nHenderson \n \n0 \n \n Headquarters \n \nColonel Eddie Henderson, Director \n \nLt. Colonel Jeff Weaver, Assistant Director \n \nMajor Stephen Adams \n \nMajor Thomas Barnard \n \n1 \n \n Headquarters Support Staff \n \nJen Hammonds \n \nJamie Hawkins \n \nLt. Wayne Hubbard \n \nCapt. Wade Law \n \nLinda Mayo \n \nPAO Mark McKinnon \n \nKathy Plumley \n \nSharon Sims \n \nLt. Judd Smith \n \nShannon Witcher \n \nSharon Whitaker \n \n2 \n \n The Vision of the Law Enforcement Division is to ensure that Georgia's natural resources will be conserved for our present and future generations. \nThe Mission of the Law Enforcement Division is to conserve our natural resources and to protect the people we serve. We maintain public support through fair and vigorous law enforcement, quality education, and community involvement. We commit ourselves to our Vision and Mission by practicing our core beliefs, which are trust, fairness and professionalism. \nHeadquarters \nThe Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division, currently has 190 POST-certified Game Wardens with statewide authority and full arrest powers. The primary duties of these Game Wardens are enforcement of all laws and regulations pertaining to hunting, fishing, commercial fishing, environmental violations, and recreational boating, as well as to provide public safety on all our DNR-controlled properties. The Law Enforcement Division operates with a straight-line chain of command. It consists of the Colonel, Lt. Colonel, three Majors (field operations, special operations and aviation), seven Region Supervisors (Captains), two \"specialty\" Captains (investigations, and administrative support), two pilot Captains, three Lieutenants (database management, training and special permits/captive wildlife and wild animals), and 171 field Game Wardens (Sergeants, Corporals, Ranger First Class, and Rangers). \n3 \n \n Equipment The Division continued to purchase additional Glock Model 43s for issuance to new Game Wardens who will graduate Game Warden Academy in 2018. These back-up weapons were issued to all Game Wardens in 2016. The Model 43, along with all other issued firearms, is now introduced to new cadets during the Game Warden Academy as part of firearms training. \nWith funds provided by the Georgia Natural Resources Foundation, 60 pieces of body armor were replaced this past year. The Division is currently using Alpha Elite by Point Blank body armor. \nThe Division completed a patrol rifle upgrade with $47,000 in funds received during the annual Weekend for Wildlife event. In 2007, Game Wardens were issued military surplus M-16s. In 2015, the process began to upgrade the rifles by replacing the upper assemblies with 14.5\" Daniel Defense uppers. This year, the Daniel Defense lower assemblies were purchased, completing the upgrade and totally replacing the surplus rifle. Transition training to the upgraded rifles is scheduled for the fall. \nThe Division received a generous mid budget year funding amendment that resulted in the purchase of 53 patrol vehicles. This will greatly improve the status of the division's fleet and will replace vehicles that have been in service since as far back as 2008. Ford has the state contract and Field Game Wardens are issued an F-150 extended cab and supervisors the F-150 Crew Cab. In addition, the Division utilized Recreational Boating Safety Grant Funds to replace six patrol boats in the fleet. The majority of the inland impoundments utilize a 20'24' Center Console platform equipped with side scan sonar equipment. The division's coastal region utilized JEA funding to replace a 16-year-old, 35foot Contender that was at the end of its service life, with a 38' Impact from Boston Whaler, configured with an enclosed cabin. This new offshore boat is equipped with triple Mercury 350 Verado Outboard motors, A/C, and a Garmin Chart plotter with radar and side scan sonar capabilities. It will be used for offshore and near shore patrols. The vessel will also allow Game Wardens to patrol Marine Protected Areas (MPA's) located 80-115 miles off the coast. \n4 \n \n The Law Enforcement Division recently acquired, at no cost to the Department, a Mobile Command Vehicle from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency. The Command Vehicle will be used for a wide variety of incidents including natural disasters, wildfires, prolonged search and rescue missions, and planned events. It will provide interoperability with other agencies and a place to coordinate efforts and set up Incident Command. The vehicle is equipped with a wide variety of radio systems including VHF, 800 MHz, and Southern Linc that can be tied together via the ACU1000 Audio Gateway. It also has a satellite phone, allowing multiple agencies to communicate more easily at an incident scene. The vehicle will be a valuable asset, not only to the Law Enforcement Division, but also to the entire Department. \nThe Law Enforcement Division is completing a radio system transition from analog to digital VHF. In 2011 when it was mandated that all VHF systems be narrow-banded, there was a significant loss in coverage from the 46 statewide repeater sites and the mobile units. To offset that, the transition to digital began and the coverage has significantly increased. Bond funds were used to purchase 32 new digital-capable repeaters. The Division will have a 100% digital statewide repeater system, with all infrastructure less than seven years old. \nGILEE Captain Johnny Johnson participated in the 24th Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE) program to Israel. This two-week training session, coordinated through Georgia State University, focuses on sharing homeland security techniques as well as the benefits and limitations of a national police system. During the program, 19 Law Enforcement Executives from Georgia were briefed at multiple venues in the state of Israel. \nInstitutionalizing Game Warden Title In Georgia Law, a DNR law enforcement officer has the title of Conservation Ranger. After careful consideration, the Command Staff decided to pursue obtaining the working title of Game Warden, to clear the public's confusion with park rangers, army rangers and forest rangers, and since it more clearly defines the core mission of the officers. Col. Henderson consulted with the Commissioner's Office and the decision was made to use \"Game Warden\" as the working title. State laws have not, and will not be changed since it is a working title and not an official job title change. Moving forward, vehicles will be marked to reflect the change, as well as other new equipment, clothing, and branding items. \n5 \n \n Ranger Hotline The Ranger Hotline program, which provides a way for citizens to report anonymously potentially illegal wildlife and other conservation law violations, continues to be successful. If the information leads to an arrest, the tipster receives a cash reward funded by the Georgia Natural Resource Foundation, whose mission is to protect wildlife by increasing public support for wildlife law enforcement. In 2016, 401 tips were received by email for various violations. \nLED License Plate The 2016 Georgia Legislature approved a new automobile license plate, to be designed by the Division, and sold to citizens for an additional fee. Part of the revenue generated from the sale of the plates will go to DNR Law Enforcement for operational costs. One of the Game Wardens in the Coastal Region designed the plate and pre-sales are currently underway. \nNew Headquarters Facility and Fallen Game Warden Monument In December, Law Enforcement Headquarters moved into a newly renovated building on the Social Circle campus. The facility also includes a 1,600-square foot warehouse and a helipad. Adjacent to the entrance, a beautiful eight-foot high black granite monument, in the shape of Georgia, was erected. The Georgia DNR Fallen Game Warden Memorial, complete with Georgia and American flags on either side, honors the eight Game Wardens who have lost their lives in the line of duty. \nRecruitment Video As part of an aggressive recruiting effort, LED Public Affairs produced a short video highlighting the duties of Georgia Game Wardens and encouraging qualified individuals to submit an application. The video features video clips and still photos shot during the last year, informational text, and high-energy, royalty-free background music. The video can be viewed at this URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeYiTeVHOxY \n6 \n \n SPLASH The Division, along with Georgia's First Lady Sandra Deal and a number of federal, state, and private partners, began an aggressive anti-drowning campaign called SPLASH. The acronym SPLASH encourages citizens to follow these tips when enjoying beaches, pools, lakes, rivers and other bodies of water: \n Supervision  Designate an adult to watch children at all times. Do not assume someone else is watching. \n Prevention  Wear personal flotation devices (PFD or life jacket), install fencing around pools, and use drain covers in hot tubs and pools. \n Look before you leap  Never jump into water without knowing how deep it is and what is below the surface. \n Arm's Length  Adults should be arm's length to children in water, and life jackets and throwable flotation devices should be nearby at all times. \n Swim Lessons  Knowing how to swim greatly reduces the chance of drowning. \n Have a Water Safety Plan  Know what to do during an emergency. \nThe campaign includes bilingual brochures, public service announcements and videos, social media messaging, and safety messages painted on boat ramps using stencils. The Department is also in the process of adding life jacket loaner boards at public boat ramps and state parks, with these locations now included on the Georgia Outdoors app. \nOTHER SPECIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUES \nHB 208 - License Fee Increase to Add New Game Wardens This bill, which passed during the 2017 legislative session, increases hunting, fishing, and recreational license fees, bringing them in line with neighboring states' fees. The Law Enforcement Division will utilize a percentage of the new revenue for additional personnel and other enforcement and operational costs. \nThe Division experienced an unprecedented year in the area of receiving pay increases. At the beginning of FY-17, all certified personnel within the division received a 6% pay raise. Then, at the mid-year of the state budget cycle, Governor Nathan Deal called for major law enforcement reform, which included a 20% pay increase for any state law enforcement officers who were on the front lines and completed new, mandatory annual in service training in the areas of de-escalation and community policing. This raise affected the Division by providing a 20% raise for the rank of Captain and below. \n7 \n \n Matthew/West Mims/Tatum Gulf/Albany Tornado X 2/ Ice Storm Game Wardens responded to several natural disasters in the state this past year from wildfires in the North West Georgia Mountains and the Okefenokee Swamp, Hurricane Matthew on the Georgia Coast, multiple tornadoes in Southwest Georgia and two ice storms in the North Georgia area. Game Wardens provided first responder operations, debris clearing with chain saws, damage assessment, search and rescue and security roles during these events. \nJEA Patrols Coastal Game Wardens just completed the 15th Joint Enforcement Agreement (JEA) with NOAA. They patrolled saltwater areas inshore and offshore for 989 hours, using twinengine boats for 245 hours, single-engine boats for 217 hours, and patrolling dockside for 196 hours. They spent 50 hours patrolling Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, 76 hours on Atlantic Right Whales violations, 78 hours for outreach (I\u0026Es), 50 hours by aircraft, and 77 administrative hours. They detected a number of Federal Fisheries violations including over the limit of fish, possession of illegal species, illegal nets, and Turtle Excluder Device (TED) violations. These documented violations were turned over to NOAA for prosecution or handled in local courts. \nDNR Re-Organization Period Continues The Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division completed the fourth year of a five-year transition that will consolidate all Law Enforcement functions under the umbrella of the Law Enforcement Division, to include State Parks enforcement. In 2013, the Board of Natural Resources approved the internal reorganization of its operational Divisions that elevated the Law Enforcement Section to Division Status, removing it as a sub-program in the Wildlife Resources Division. The changes to the DNR structure were made to more accurately reflect the working structure of the department, streamline operations, clarify chain of command, standardize training, equipment and operational guidance for law enforcement services and to reduce liability. \nPublic Affairs Media Relations and Public Outreach The Division conducted media news conferences and ride-alongs with Rangers for the start of the boating and hunting seasons, \"Operation Dry Water,\" and the July 4th Holiday weekend to promote safe boating and swimming safety and to educate citizens on boating laws and how they are applied. Prior to boating season, in late May, LED partnered with the Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) and the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) to encourage safety on the waterways and highways throughout the summer. The 2017 campaign was called the \"Summer17 Safety Tour.\" News releases, I \u0026 E presentations and speeches to various civic groups, and regular news media interviews and interaction were utilized throughout the year to disseminate information to the public. \n8 \n \n Social Media LED manages a Facebook page that currently has nearly 47,000 page \"Likes\" (people who regularly view the page). Many of LED's Facebook posts have a \"Reach\" (number of people who may see the post through their friends who \"Like\" the page) that exceeds 40,000, and occasionally, some are above 100,000. The Division also has a Twitter account that is linked to Facebook, which currently has over 1,100 followers, a YouTube Channel with multiple safety-related videos, and an Instagram account with over 4,100 followers. \n\"Off the Pavement\" Awards Banquet In August 2016, the LED's Command Staff was joined by the Georgia DNR Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and Board Members at the Third Annual \"Off the Pavement\" Awards Banquet in Savannah. The event highlighted the outstanding efforts of Game Wardens from across the state who had received a number of awards throughout the year. At the end of the evening, Corporal Eddie Tompkins from the northeast Georgia Region was named as the Division's 2016 Game Warden of the Year. \n \n2015 Game Warden of the Year Cpl. Casey Jones pins the one-of-a-kind badge on the 2016 winner, Cpl. Eddie Tompkins. \n \n2016 Game Warden of the Year, Cpl. Eddie Tompkins receives his award. \n \n9 \n \n Statewide Awards \nRanger of the Year \nCorporal Eddie Tompkins is one of the best when it comes to boating safety, winning this year's Boating Officer of the Year award. However, his abilities to detect, find, and \napprehend poachers during the fall are quite impressive as well. Eddie has outstanding knowledge of the area, he's a hard worker and has extensive contacts with landowners in his assigned county of Gwinnett. He logged 78 hunting-related complaints and 504 hours spent working wildlife enforcement. During these patrols Cpl. Tompkins issued 76 violator contacts and apprehended an astounding 22 persons for hunting without permission. During the past year Eddie documented 309 total violator contacts. He obtained an astronomical 51 arrest warrants (16 felony and 35 misdemeanor) during the year. While attending to his regular duties, he was also enrolled in the Professional Management Program (PMP) at Columbus State University. He will be completing the program later this year. Community involvement, outreach, and education are priority to Cpl. Tompkins. During the year he participated in 14 boating safety and education programs and 15 general I\u0026E programs. He worked at the Atlanta Boat Show, the GON Outdoor Blast, and also provided boating safety programs, career day, and endangered species programs in the Gwinnett County School system. \nJames R. Darnell Award \nRanger First Class John Evans is committed to Conservation Law Enforcement and serving Georgians. RFC Evans had a total of 267 contacts for the year. Ninety percent of these \ncontacts represent violations on the Region VII focus list. Last year he conducted over 200 WMA and State Park patrols, resulting in 79 violator contacts and four drug cases. This past year, he documented over 540 boating safety hours. This included 92 water patrols in which he checked 432 boats. He made six BUI arrests and logged 18 Search and Rescue missions. He was also involved in 28 JEA patrols documenting 136 JEA hours. John never shuns an opportunity to improve his abilities. He completed training to be a certified NASBLA Instructor. POST General Instructor training, and POST FTO training. He is very involved in his community and is a committee member on the Golden Isles Longspurs, the Glynn County chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and is also an assistant coach with the Wayne County 4-H shotgun team. RFC Evans taught 15 programs to school children and the general public promoting Boating Safety and recognizing other hazards unique to the Georgia coast. RFC Evans presented 29 I\u0026Es, Hunter Development programs, and seven Hunter Education classes in 2015. \n10 \n \n Ranger of the Year Nominees \n \nRegion I- RFC Cody Jones Region II- Cpl. Eddie Tompkins Region III- RFC Tim Butler Region IV- RFC Keith Page \n \nRegion V- RFC Jesse Harrison Region VI- Cpl. Tommy Daughtrey Region VII- RFC John Evans \n \nSupervisor of the Year \nCaptain Jeff Swift is the recipient of the 2015 Supervisor of the Year Award. Capt. Swift is a 29-year veteran of the Law Enforcement Division, serving as Region Supervisor since \n2007. Jeff has demonstrated the traits and qualities that make him a deserving winner of this prestigious award. He has vigorously supported the goals and values of DNR and, in their written nomination, the Rangers in his Region said that Capt. Swift always creates and maintains a positive and professional work environment. He encourages consistency and accountability throughout the Region, displaying a strong commitment to Conservation Law Enforcement and is dedicated to serving his fellow officers. His coaching, motivation and positive reinforcement help to create a successful and rewarding work environment, benefiting every employee. Jeff continually works to maintain positive working relationships with many different community organizations within the region, as well as city and county law enforcement agencies, other DNR Divisions, and local legislators. The support of these organizations have proven instrumental pursuing the missions of the Division and the Department. Congratulations to Captain Jeff Swift, the 2015 Supervisor of the Year. \n \nInvestigative Ranger of the Year \nCorporal Casey Jones, who and is currently the Division's Ranger of the Year, is the 2015 Investigative Ranger of the Year, sponsored by the Safari Club  Georgia Chapter. Cpl. \nJones is a versatile, well-rounded officer and is particularly skilled in investigative work, successfully completing two very in-depth, complex, and time-consuming investigations last year. In one of those cases, he received a hunting without permission complaint in October 2014. He searched the area and located a baited stand, a trail camera, and an ATV trail leading to a suspect's residence. After a thorough investigation, which included collecting evidence from social media sites, interviews of suspects and witnesses, and analyzing data and photos from a trail camera and cell phone, Cpl. Jones determined that the main suspect had committed 43 wildlife violations over the past two years. The suspect pled guilty in a plea agreement due to Casey's rock-solid case against him. He was fined $2,300, forfeited all wildlife seized, and lost hunting privileges for three years. For his outstanding efforts in all aspects of Conservation Law Enforcement, Casey was recently named Officer of the Year by the North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association. Congratulations to Corporal Casey Jones, the 2015 Investigative Officer of the Year. \n \n11 \n \n Boating Officer of the Year \nCorporal Eddie Tompkins is the 2015 Georgia Boating Officer of the Year. Cpl. Tompkins has exhibited the Division's core mission in all of his boating enforcement duties. Working \nprimarily on Lake Lanier, Eddie documented 7,285 boating miles, 708 boating hours and responded to 31 Water SARs. He also participated in 14 boating safety educational programs and made eight BUI arrests last year. He made 685 vessel stops logging 242 violations. Eddie also assisted the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office in creating a boat captain course for deputies patrolling the lake. As a member of the DNR Side Scan Sonar Team, Eddie is known for his ability to effectively operate the equipment. In a drowning incident at Stone Mountain Park, Eddie's dedication to bring closure to a grieving family was evident as he searched for the victim until 4:00 a.m., when poor weather halted the operation. He was back on the water at 7 a.m., soon locating the victim with sonar and directing divers for the recovery. On July 1st, after receiving information from the drug task force, Cpl. Tompkins arrested three subjects for numerous felony and misdemeanor violations related to the selling of meth on the lake. Illegal drugs, a stolen pistol, and $4,000 in cash were seized as evidence. In another incident, Eddie observed a pontoon boat that was overloaded and as he approached, he realized the boat was about to sink. He radioed for another Ranger and they were able to save the boaters just as their vessel sank. Congratulations to Corporal Eddie Tompkins, the 2015 Georgia Boating Officer of the Year. \nThe Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award \nCorporal Brian Hobbins is the 2016 Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award recipient. Cpl. Hobbins places a strong emphasis on waterfowl enforcement. He also recognizes the \nimportance of developing public trust through involvement in his community. Brian had a very impressive waterfowl enforcement season, documenting over 200 hours of enforcement activity, with 60 hours spent dragging ponds in bait detection. He spent 24 evenings in and around flooded timber, listening for after-hours shoots. He conducted six early goose and teal patrols and also worked several evenings outside his work unit, assisting fellow Rangers. His dedication yielded a very impressive 69 waterfowl contacts. Brian is always willing to help in other work units, as his experience and expertise in waterfowl enforcement is well-known across the Region. Much of his waterfowl enforcement efforts occurred prior to waterfowl season, during deer season patrols, when he detected evidence that led to documented violations. In his community in Columbia County, Brian has invested countless hours educating civic groups, students at the local schools, and faith-based organizations on waterfowl habitats and conservation. He is an Advisory Council Member for the Wounded Warrior Retreat at Come-Away Plantation, facilitating hunts to honor and empower combat injured service members.. Congratulations to Corporal Brian Hobbins, winner of 2016 Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award. \n12 \n \n The Torch Award \nRanger First Class Patrick Gibbs is the recipient of the 2016 Torch Award. RFC Gibbs, who is assigned to Long County, had an outstanding year in Conservation Law \nEnforcement. Patrick checked 266 hunting licenses, 356 fishing licenses, 313 vessels, and 67 commercial licenses. He conducted 92 patrols on WMAs and State Parks and logged 190 hours on 45 citizen complaints. He made 50 vessel patrols to include: JEA patrols, shellfish patrols, boating safety patrols, and commercial shrimp trawler patrols, dedicating over 250 hours patrolling state waters. His hunting and fishing enforcement efforts resulted in 170 violator contacts, resulting in the confiscation of two deer, nine ducks, 120 freshwater fish, 12 saltwater fish, over 100 pounds of shrimp, and three bushels of oysters. Patrick also made 26 cases directly related to night deer hunting, five for hunting turkeys over bait, six BUI arrests, seven for commercial shrimping/oyster violations and seven more cases were made related to waterfowl enforcement. In his assigned work area, which includes 88 miles of the Altamaha River, five WMAs, one State Park, and 22 miles of the Atlantic Coast, Patrick is self-motivated, has a tireless work ethic, and is always sure to leave a positive impression with every citizen contacted. He is also committed to education and conducted 17 I\u0026E programs, working with the local school system, CHAMPS, KFE's, Shop with a COP, and Career Day. Patrick is a CAT Team member and has been selected to be a certified FTO for the Division. Congratulations to Ranger First Class Patrick Gibbs, the 2016 Torch award winner. . \nHunter Education Instructor of the Year Award \nRanger Eric White is the 2015 Hunter Education Instructor of the Year for his dedication to promoting Georgia's Hunter Education program. Eric's work unit serves an area of \nsouthwest Georgia that typically requires the certification of about 550 students - a challenge for a work unit with three counties without a resident Ranger. In spite of these challenges, Eric understands that a Ranger-taught class enhances the message of personal safety and natural resource protection when it is delivered by a knowledgeable officer in uniform. Eric dedicated approximately 125 hours to Hunter Education, teaching 13 classes in four of the seven counties in his work unit. He continually works to stay knowledgeable on laws and trends in hunter education so he can provide the most informative material to prospective students. Eric was actively involved in the discussions and planning of the Hunter Education program's recent enhancements and he provided firsthand knowledge of these changes to the instructors in his work unit, ensuring quality and consistency of the program. Eric also participated in 53 various Information \u0026 Education presentations promoting firearms, hunting, boating, and ATV safety to numerous groups including the Boy Scouts and local school children. Congratulations to Ranger Eric White, the 2015 Hunter Education Instructor of the Year. \n13 \n \n Previous Rangers of the Year \n \nWilliam Powell W.D. Hill, Jr. Michael Bone William Vickers Dan Parrish Ronald Bailey Ralph Sheppard Roger D. Garrison James McDaniel Doug Lewis Terry West W. Howard Hensley, Jr. Dennis Aderholt Bill Bunch Arvid Edwards Mitchell H. Yeargin Jeff Weaver Mike Commander \n \n1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 \n \nPhillip Scott Stanley Elrod Rick Sellars David Ruddell Derek Dillard Mike Barr Harry E. Akins Eric Brown John Murphy Shane Sartor Mike Binion Brian Hobbins Cindy Miller Timothy Butler Jason Roberson David Webb Greg Wade Casey Jones \n \n1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 \n \n14 \n \n Region I- Calhoun (Northwest) \nFront Row, L_R: RFC Mark Puig, BOG Joyce Holland, Secretary Sherry Rollins, CPT Jeff Galloway, SGT Eric Brown, SGT James Keener, RGR Frank Pucci, RFC Mark Moyer, SGT Jason Roberson, CPL Barton Hendrix, RGR Nolan Callaway, RGR Ryan Locke, CPL Brooks Varnell, K-9 \"Taz\". Back Row, L_R: CPL Chad Cox, SGT Mike Barr, RGR Kalem Burns, RFC Zack Hardy, RFC Daniel Gray, CPL Casey Jones, RFC Roger McConkey, CPL Ben Cunningham, CPL Byron Young, CPL Shawn Elmore, CPL Cody Jones, SGT Brian Keener, RGR Travis Shrader. \nAdministration Currently Region I is comprised of 20 Northwest Georgia Counties and the Metro Atlanta area. Within these counties we have 3 major impoundments, 6 major rivers, 7 State Parks, 18 Wildlife Management Areas (249,000 acres) 173,000 acres of US Forest Service lands, 244 miles of trout streams. The Law Enforcement Division of the Department of Natural Resources continues to assume all Law Enforcement responsibilities on state owned and operated property, including calls from private citizen concerning law enforcement on private and public properties from the 20 counties which comprise the Region. Region 1 experienced several personnel changes this year. Cpl. Tommy Gentry and Sgt. John Vanlandingham retired in October 2016, Cpl. Lee Burns retired in December 2016. Sgt. Derek Dillard transferred to Region II Gainesville and was replaced with the promotion of Cpl. Jason Roberson to Sergeant in January 2017. Cpl. James Keener also was promoted to Sergeant in January 2017 to fill vacancy left by retirement of Sgt. Vanlandingham. RFC Cody Jones was promoted to Corporal to fill vacancy left by Sgt. James Keener and RFC Ben Cunningham was promoted to Corporal to fill the vacancy left by retirement of Cpl. Tommy Gentry. \n15 \n \n Region Personnel Awards Cpl. Cody Jones received the Region 1 Ranger of the Year Award. Cpl. Bart Hendrix received the Region 1 Boating Safety Officer of the Year and the DNR LED State Boating Safety Officer of the Year. Cpl. Bart Hendrix was selected as the NASBLA Southern Region Boating Officer of the Year and is qualified for the NASBLA National Boating Officer of the Year. RFC. Roger McConkey received the Region 1 National Wild Turkey Federation Award. RFC. Mark Puig received the Region 1 Torch Award. RFC. Mark Moyer received the Region 1 Investigative Officer of the Year Award. Region 1 did not submit a nominee for Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award. Sgt. Brian Keener was honored by the Pickens Co. Kiwanis Club as Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. \nIn July of 2016, Cpl. Casey Jones attended the (NAWEOA) North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association conference in Burlington Vermont. He was selected as the 2015 NAWEOA \"North American Wildlife Officer of the Year.\" \nRFC Cody Jones was presented with a plaque at the POAG annual convention for being selected as the 2016 Region I \"Ranger of the Year.\" \nIn October of 2016, Cpl. Casey Jones gave a presentation on a high profile Ginseng Investigation at the SEAFWA (Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies) conference in Baton Rouge Louisiana. \n16 \n \n Game Warden Cpl. Shawn Elmore attended the 45th Drug Recognition Expert Class at the Georgia Public Training Center in Forsyth, Georgia where he completed training to become a Drug Recognition Expert. He was awarded the honor of obtaining the highest academic award during the training. \nRegion Office Relocation In September 2016, after 55 years of service in the Calhoun Georgia location at One Memory Lane, the Region 1 LE Office was relocated to 781 Red Top Mtn. road in Acworth Ga. A warehouse is currently under construction at the new location. \n17 \n \n Operational \nCaptain Galloway served as OIC at the Command Post set up at Ga. Forestry in Calhoun Ga. During the North Ga. Fires and multiple Region 1 Game Wardens assisted with forest fires in Gordon, Murray, Polk, Haralson, Whitfield, and Bartow Counties in July and November of 2016. Region 1 Game Wardens Galloway, Brown, Burns, Jones, Young, McConkey, Cox and Elmore worked the Hurricane Matthew Detail in October 2016. \nSgt. James Keener, Cpl. Ben Cunningham and RFC Mark Puig assigned to the Counter Terrorism Task Force, assisted with the Operation \"Safe State\" Fugitive Round Up in Metro Atlanta on 2/01/17. \nOn Thursday, February 2, 2017, Region 1 Game Wardens, Sgt. Brian Keener, Cpl. Brooks Varnell and Capt. Galloway responded to a two- boat collision in a portion of the Lake known as the \"S turns\". Upon arriving on scene, it was determined that two boats had collided, one boat had capsized and the other was driving in circles. All three occupants had been thrown into the water and one of them had been rescued by a nearby fisherman. The body of the first victim was located by the Cherokee County Fire Department that day and the search for the other missing man continued until February 19. During this incident, more than twenty Game Wardens searched for the second victim utilizing the DNR Side Scan, Sector Scan, ROV, as well as body drags. Shore sweeps were made each day by both DNR LED as well as Cherokee County Fire. All search efforts were without success until the body surfaced on February 19. Game Wardens assisted in the recovery at that time. The DNR CIRT Team investigated the incident and was able to determine the cause of the incident using on board GPS from each boat. This incident consumed the vast majority of the 10-8 time for several officers during February. \nOn Tuesday, March 7, 2017 Sgt. Jason Roberson received information that someone had been excavating for American Indian artifacts illegally in the area of the Leake Indian Mounds near Cartersville. On Wednesday, March 8, 2017 Sgt. Roberson and RFC Barton Hendrix searched the area and located the illegal dig site. On Friday, March 10, 2017 SGT Roberson and RFC Zack Hardy to attempted to install a camera on the site. As they approached the area, they observed two men digging in the site as well as two piles of debris that were later identified as American Indian Artifacts. They approached the individuals and frisked them for weapons. A small amount of marijuana and a pipe was located. A short time later, another man approached their location and began to act in a suspicious manner. He was found to be in possession of marijuana that was packaged in the exact manner as the other subject. He also had a mason jar full of marijuana. Further investigation revealed that he was delivering the marijuana for sale to the other suspects. A subsequent search of his vehicle by the Bartow Drug Task Force revealed more than five ounces of marijuana, numerous baggies, digital scales and other items related to the sale of narcotics. He was charged with Felony intent to distribute marijuana. Search warrants were obtained for his cell phone as well as the main culprit in the Archeological dig. The search of the artifact diggers phone revealed child pornography. The Drug Task Force and the GBI opened an investigation and subsequently charged him with charges related to child pornography. \n18 \n \n More than 850 Native American artifacts and five ounces of marijuana were seized in this case as well as one vehicle. All the misdemeanor charges have been plead guilty to and the felonies are expected to go to trial in the coming year. \nDuring the fall of 2016, RFC Bart Hendrix finished up an investigation that spanned over two deer seasons. The investigation consisted of multiple violators, locations, and charges. It involved a group of hunters who conspired to poach deer throughout Metro Atlanta and a deer cooler who was covering for them. As a result of this investigation, more than 120 charges were made. Five individuals were identified to be the most egregious violators. Sixty- nine warrants were taken out for them including several counts of each of the following: Hunting without permission, hunting big game over bait, taking over the limit, Failure to record harvest, Obstruction, Hunting out of season, and Failure to maintain proper records for a cold storage facility. One of the deer that was determined to have been taken illegally was a 172- inch buck that was rumored to have been killed in Cherokee County but was determined to have been killed in Cobb County after the poacher had obtained his limit of bucks. This poached deer has been featured in several outdoor magazines and the poacher has received quite a bit of notoriety for his trophy. \n19 \n \n In January, 2017 Chief K-9 Instructor Cpl. Brooks Varnell purchased 4 new K-9 for the Law Enforcement Division, K-9 Rock was retired in January after 11 years of service. In February, Cpl. Brooks Varnell instructed a 12-week K-9 training academy certifying the handlers and new K-9 successfully. Cpl. Varnell and new K-9 Taz are now working in the field. K-9 Taz is trained in man tracking, evidence recovery, wildlife detection and apprehension. \nCpl. Chad Cox and RFC Daniel Gray organized the annual Polk County Kids Fishing Rodeo. There were 577 kids under age 16 in attendance at this year's event. \n20 \n \n During the week of June 12th through June 16th, Sgt. Eric Brown conducted his 12th annual Carroll County Outdoor Day Camp. The camp included 41 boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 16. During the week students were certified in Hunter Education and Boat Georgia. Activities included learning to shoot .22 rifles, skeet, and trap. Other activities included shooting archery, crossbows, learning to use a GPS, wildlife identification, plant identification, a live snake show, boat operation and a fishing trip. Game Warden Cpl. Ben Cunningham received multiple complaints of persons catching and keeping over their limit of fish at the Lock and Dam Park on the Coosa River in Floyd County. On February 22, 2017, Cpl. Cunningham received an anonymous call that persons driving a silver van were at the Lock and Dam Park and catching and keeping too many fish. Cpl. Cunningham responded and found a man from Gwinnett County with fish and coolers in his silver van with aerators. He gave consent for Cpl. Cunningham to look in the coolers. Cpl. Cunningham knew the individual as he had been cited before for over the limit of fish. Cpl. Cunningham found 20 white bass and 40 crappie. The man was arrested and transported to the Floyd County Jail. \n21 \n \n Region II- Gainesville (Northeast) \nFront Row L-R: Capt. Johnny Johnson, Cpl. Kevin Dyer, RFC Chad Chambers, Cpl. Adam Loudermilk, RFC Kevin Goss, RFC David Webb, Rgr. Beth Gilbert, Rgr. Tommy Crabb, RFC Matt Johnson, Rgr. Chris Kernahan, Secretary Tasha Lamb, AAIII Brenda Tanner, Sgt. Lee Brown Back row, L-R: RFC Tim Vickery, Cpl. Eric Isom, RFC Shane Brown, RFC Mark Stephens, Sgt. Derek Dillard, Sgt. Steve Seitz, RFC Brandon Pierce, RFC Joe Hill, Cpl. Anne Wiley, Sgt. Greg Colson, Cpl. Eric Sanders, Cpl. Eddie Tompkins, Rgr. Chris Hall, RFC Mitchell Crump. Inset, L-R: Sgt. Mike Burgamy, Cpl. Josh Chambers, Cpl. Craig Fulghum, RFC Shane Sartor, PT Secretary McKayla Justus \nThe Gainesville Region is comprised of the 19 Northeast Georgia Counties which include several metro areas around Atlanta. Within these counties we have 8 major impoundments, 3 major rivers, 13 Wildlife Management Areas, 220 miles of trout streams, 21 State Park Properties and 288,000 acres of National Forest lands. The impoundments within Region II receive over 20 million visitors annually while the state parks and wildlife management areas receive another 2.5 million annually. The Law Enforcement Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources is responsible for the law enforcement needs on all of the state owned and operated property in addition to any DNR law enforcement calls for service on private or public property from the 19 county areas within the region. This tremendous amount of visitation and use on these proprieties create a great deal of diverse law enforcement issues that the 30 officers of this region continually address. \n22 \n \n Boating Activity This year has been a very busy one and unfortunately we seen a significant rise in water related fatalities. Drowning and boating related incidents accounted for 23 deaths from July of 2016 through June of 2017. On a Friday evening in July 2016 Game Wardens from Region II responded to one of the most severe boating events to ever occur on Lake Lanier. Four people lost their lives in a single vessel boating incident when the operator of a 38-foot tunnel hull Skater lost control of his vessel that was traveling at over 130 miles per hour. The boat flipped several times ejecting all of the occupants who did not survive. Officers from the region worked through the night deploying sonar and remotely operated equipment succeeding in recovering two of the victims. The search continued the next evening and the remaining two occupants were recovered. The DNR LED Critical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT) investigated the incident where the speed and other facts in the incident were determined. \nThe 388 Skater appears to have held together pretty good but extensive damage was done to the starboard and stern of the vessel. The boat was valued between $800,000 and $1,000.000 dollars. \n23 \n \n Region II LED Game Wardens work very diligently to recover all the victims involved in water deaths and succeeded in 90% of the incidents this past year. Considering what rests beneath the waters of most impoundments this is quite remarkable. The proficiency of these professionals in the use of sonar and remotely operated controlled equipment continues to improve allowing these incidents to conclude quickly. \n24 \n \n Another event that Region II LED was involved in was the removal of abandon vessels from Lake Lanier. DNR LED in partnership with the Lake Lanier Association and the US Army Corp of Engineers was successful in securing funds to remove several large boats that were potential hazards for the boating public. Many of these vessels had been left discarded for years and through investigations and cooperation from several sources prior ownership was determined and the vessels were removed. This initiative continues and now derelict docks are also addressed by the US Army Corp of Engineers. \nHunting and Fishing Activity Game Wardens from Region II were involved in an extensive case in White County where multiple trapping, hunting and felony violations were cited. Two individuals, husband and wife were implicated in various violations involving protected species and other wildlife animals. The husband was a convicted felon and had involved his spouse in his activities to secure a trapping license. An area where several traps were set was located by Game Wardens and surveillance cameras were deployed to capture photographic evidence. The individual was photographed at the traps while in the possession of a firearm. After many months of investigation, a 29-count indictment on the male subject was returned by a grand jury while eight were handed down on the female subject. After a negotiated plea, the male subject was sentenced to a total of 10 years to serve with 3 years being served in confinement. The male subject was fined $2000.00 and his hunting privileges were suspended for a term of 5 years. The female was sentenced to 2 years on probation and a $1000.00 fine with 120 hours of community service and her hunting privileges were also suspended for a period of 3 years. \n25 \n \n On August 24, 2016 Game Warden Shane Brown, received a compliant of illegal deer hunting on United States Army Corp of Engineers Property. The complainant also stated that the violator had no regard for the law and killed over his limit of deer the previous season. Game Warden Brown scoured the area looking for the violator's truck and located it nearby. Cpl. Eddie Tompkins assisted with locating the subject who was without a firearm. After many lies, the violators hunting location and firearm were discovered. His cell phone provided incriminating evidence of the prior year's hunting season. After questioning, the violator admitted to killing three buck the previous year. Game Wardens seized a 7-point set of antlers for evidence. The US Army Corp of Engineers Ranger issued the violator two federal citations along with the state charges. The subject pled guilty in State Court and was sentenced to a $1305.00 fine. Federal court disposition has not transpired. \nGame Warden Brandon Pierce started an investigation that derived from a complaint on February 27, 2017 and lasted until April 23, 2017, dealing with possible violations from bow fishing. The complaint involved taking gamefish by illegal methods. Upon an initial search for evidence several pieces were found that suggested a valid complaint. Game Warden Shane Sartor assisted in the investigation and the two Wardens gathered enough evidence to interview the suspects. During the initial interviews, Game Warden Pierce and Sartor were able to get statements from the three subjects who admitted to taking gamefish while bow fishing. The violations occurred in three different counties (Stephens, Hart, and Elbert) and two different lakes (Hartwell and Clarkes Hill) during approximately a month period. Over the course of two months, more evidence was gathered and the officers were able to meet with each Counties respective Judge. The investigation was completed and a total of thirty-two citations were issued. They consisted of taking gamefish by illegal methods and possession of illegally taken fish. Thirty-one gamefish were proven to have been killed during the investigation including an 8 and 10 pound largemouth bass along with a 23 pound striper. \n26 \n \n Other Activity DNR received a substantial sum of money resulting from an illegal ginseng case. The seizure of 430 lbs. of ginseng from a dealer in the investigation sold at an auction earlier this year. The proceeds from the case named Operation Botanical were split between Georgia and North Carolina for ginseng conservation. $144,000.00 was received and split between the Law Enforcement Division and the Wildlife Resources Division. The Law Enforcement Division will utilize the funds for equipment specifically to support and strengthen the Divisions efforts in the illegal ginseng trade. \nRegion II LED responded to the wildfires in North Georgia that burnt over 20,000 acres in the Chattahoochee National Forest. LED Game Wardens assisted the US Forest Service, Georgia Forestry Commission, and Local agencies with patrolling the affected areas. Officers evacuated citizens in remote campgrounds on the USFS property and WMA's and provided other law enforcement support in Union, Towns, and White Counties. \n27 \n \n Equipment Region II LED received two new patrol boats this year. Both vessels are center console Cobia's equipped with the latest in electronics and public safety equipment. One boat is assigned to Lake Lanier while the other is assigned to Lake Hartwell. Maintaining a modern vessel fleet on the states waterways is a very important factor in the Law Enforcement Divisions response of water emergencies. \nRegion II Personnel Awards Cpl. Eddie Tompkins received the State Game Warden of the Year Award Cpl. Craig Fulghum received the Region II Boating Safety Officer of the Year Award Sgt. Jason Roberson received the Region II Investigative Ranger of the Year Award Game Warden Chris Kernahan received the Region II \u0026 State Torch Award Game Warden Chris Kernahan received the John Jacobs Award presented by the Hall County Kiwanis Club Promotions and Personnel Changes Sergeant Stan Elrod was promoted to Captain within LED Region III Sergeant Derek Dillard transferred from Region I to Region II Cpl. Jason Roberson was promoted to Sergeant within LED Region I Game Warden Eric Isom was promoted to Corporal Game Warden Shane Brown transferred from Forsyth County to Dawson County Game Warden Tommy Crab transferred from the Parks Division to the LED assigned to Lake Burton/Rabun Boating Safety. He also graduated the 31st Game Warden Academy Chris Hall came to work for DNR LED and assigned as Game Warden in Forsyth County. He graduated the 31st Game Warden Academy. \n28 \n \n Region III- Thomson (East Central) \nFront Row, L-R: Part-time Secretary Kelly Hadden, AA3 Elizabeth Bentley, Captain Stan Elrod, Cpl. Derrell Worth, RFC Grant Matherly, Sgt. Max Boswell, Sgt. Doyte Chaffin, RFC Ricky Boles, Cpl. Ryan Swain, Cpl. Brian Adams, Sgt. Matt Garthright, Cpl. Ben Payne Back Row, L-R: Ranger Michael Madden, Ranger Jason Harrison, RFC Richard Tanner, RFC Bobby Timmerman, Cpl. Julian Wilkins, RFC Tim Butler, Cpl. Mark Patterson, RFC Micheal Crawley, RFC Phillip Nelson, Ranger Dan Schay, Cpl. Jeff Billips Not pictured: Cpl. David Allen, K9 Storm \nPersonnel Changes Region III underwent several personnel changes this past fiscal year. Cpl. Brian Hobbins was promoted to Sgt. and transferred to Region VI. Cpl. Brian Adams transferred within Region III from Washington and Johnson Counties to McDuffie and Taliaferro Counties. Sgt. Matt Garthright transferred from Administrative Sgt. Of Region III to Lake Oconee Section Field Sgt. Sgt. John Harwell transferred from Lake Oconee Section Field Sgt. To Administrative Sgt. Of Region III. Capt. Mark Padgett retired from DNR Law Enforcement. Region III welcomed Sgt. Stan Elrod, from Region II, as the new Capt. RFC Jeff Billips was promoted to Cpl. in Burke County. Region Personnel Awards Cpl. Brian Adams received the Region Game Warden of the Year Award RGR Dan Schay received the Region Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award. Cpl. Mark Patterson received the Region Investigative Warden of the Year Award. Cpl. Ben Payne received the State NWTF Officer of the Year Award. \n29 \n \n Conservation Law Enforcement \nRegion III had an outstanding year in the area of Conservation Law Enforcement. Rangers put forth great effort and celebrated many accomplishments that warrant special recognition. The enforcements efforts mentioned in the following cases show a willingness to go above and beyond, dedication beyond measure and commitment to catch the violators responsible. \nOn September 10th, Corporal Patterson, along with RFC Tim Butler, responded to a complaint in Elbert County. There they met with the complainant, who relayed to the Wardens that he had trapped a number of feral hogs on his property and had been using the trap as a pen for the purpose of feeding out nine of the smaller hogs for butchering at a later date. He stated he arrived to his property on the 10th to find the trap empty. Upon his inspection, he found blood inside and outside of the trap. He stated he believed the neighbors on the adjoining tract of land were responsible for killing and taking his hogs. Cpl. Patterson examined the pen and found indications that the animals had been killed inside the pen and dragged out of the only opening, which was a sliding door. He noted drag marks and blood evidence, which originated at the pen and led to an adjoining property line approximately 80 yards away where tracks and blood evidence indicated the animals had been loaded on an ATV of some type. The ATV trail continued through the adjoining tract of land with additional blood evidence found as drops and transfer or smears along the way. After a thorough investigation, Cpl. Patterson was able to locate the individuals whom were responsible for taking the hogs. Warrants were obtained, and the individuals were charge with one count each for Hunting Without Permission, one count each for Theft by Taking (misdemeanor), and two counts each for Criminal Trespass. \nGame Wardens on Lake Oconee continue to encounter individuals fishing by illegal methods. Several groups have been located across the lake, using cast nets and gill nets to take game fish. \nOn January 25, 2017, Game Wardens from the across Region 3 executed a search warrant in McDuffie County. In November, the Game Wardens began investigating a complaint of killing over the limit of antlered deer during the 2016-2017 deer season. During the investigation, it was also determined that the suspect was a convicted felon and as such is prohibited from possessing firearms. During the execution of the search warrant, a large amount of marijuana with an estimated street value of $292,000 dollars was discovered. Hidden with the illegal drugs were numerous hunting rifles, shotguns, hand guns and assault rifles. \n30 \n \n On May 26th Region III Department of Natural Resources Game Wardens, assisted by Warren County Sheriff's Office and ATF, executed arrest and search warrants in Warren County. The warrants stemmed from a month-long investigation of hunting alligators out of season. Seven suspects were arrested on numerous misdemeanor and felony charges. Subsequently, substantial amounts of methamphetamine and marijuana along with over $25,000.00 in cash was seized. Other seizure items include firearms, vehicles, ATV's and explosive devices. \nCpl. Billips investigated two turkey poaching cases that involved social media. The first case began when a land owner complained that four jakes were killed without permission on his property. The land owner presented a picture of a suspect posing with a jake on his property that was posted on a social media site. The land owner said the other suspect was a supposed friend who had betrayed him. Cpl. Billips found the incident location and collected evidence from the scene. Cpl. Billips interviewed the suspect in the picture. The suspect was a resident of South Carolina and was issued citations for non-resident hunting without license, non-resident hunting big game without license, hunting without permission, and recording / reporting requirements for game birds. The other suspect was arrested for hunting without permission and three counts of recording / reporting requirements for game birds. \n31 \n \n Cpl. Billips' second case began with a complaint from a landowner and an anonymous tip to the Ranger Hotline. The complaints were about a suspect killing over the limit of wild turkeys and hunting without permission. Cpl. Billips spoke with a landowner who provided pictures the suspect posted to social media. RFC Bobby Timmerman received the anonymous tip and spoke to the complainant who provided the same and additional pictures the suspect posted to social media. Cpl. Billips patrolled the complainant's property and RFC Timmerman obtained search warrants for the suspect's social media accounts. Cpl. Billips and RFC Timmerman enlisted the IT skills of RFC Richard Tanner to interpret the data from the suspect's social media accounts. RFC Tanner was able to reveal each distinct gobbler the suspect posted and the GPS location of each kill. Cpl. Billips interviewed several witnesses and apprehended the suspect turkey hunting without permission on the landowner's property. The Game Wardens' collaborative effort resulted in the arrest of the suspect and his brother for hunting without permission (3 counts), recording/reporting requirements for game birds (4 counts), taking over the season bag limit (4 counts), hunting after obtaining bag limit (5 counts), making false statements to obtain license, and hunting without hunters safety certification. \nSpartan Cameras \nOver the past year, Region III (east central) has used 11 Spartan Cameras to apprehend fish and wildlife law violators in excess of 120 violations. The violations include fishing without permission, hunting without permission, illegal trapping, hunting big game over bait, and fishing with illegal baskets. A photo of a violator illegally hunting alligator out of season resulted in an arrest involving methamphetamine, marijuana, 15 stolen firearms, a dozen vehicles and the seizure of $26,000 in cash. \nCpl. Worth Shooting \nOn April 1, Cpl. Derrell Worth and Sgt. Matt Garthright were checking a turkey hunter who was hunting over bait. While Cpl. Worth was speaking with the hunter, another hunter shot at what he thought was a turkey, striking both Cpl. Worth and the other hunter. The shooter was detained, and both Cpl. Worth and the other victim were transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation. Fortunately, the injuries sustained were not life threatening. \n32 \n \n Region IV- Macon (West Central) \nFront Row L-R: K-9 Drake, RFC Keith Page, Sgt. Brent Railey, Sgt. Tim Kendrick, Sgt. Tony Fox, Sgt. Wanda Roberts, Captain Bob Lynn, Sgt. Jim Bradfield, Sgt. Bo Kelly, Cpl. Jeremy Bolen, K-9 Ruger Middle Row L-R: RFC Niki Spencer, Cpl. Keith Waddell, Cpl. Tony Wynne, RFC Kevin Godbee, RFC Russell Epps, RFC Ronnie Beard, Cpl. Mitch Oliver, RFC Jeremy Reese, Chaplain Brandon Brooks Back Row L-R: Cpl. Travis Sweat, Cpl. Josh Swain, Ranger Matt Johnson, RFC David Fisher, Cpl. Robert Stillwell, RFC Freddie Hays, Cpl. Lynn Stanford Not pictured: Cpl. Wil Smith, Chaplain Rick Lanford, Chaplain Chaplain Marc Crandlemire, Chaplain Joel Vinson Inset: BOG Stephannie Stinson, Part-time Secretary Jami Tripp \nSergeant Bradfield's Work Unit Sergeant Jim Bradfield's section consists of Harris, Muscogee, Talbot, Taylor, Crawford, Bibb, and Peach Counties. The Game Wardens in this work unit patrol Lake Harding, Lake Oliver, Goat Rock, and Lake Tobesofkee, along with several miles of the Chattahoochee, Ocmulgee, and Flint Rivers. Several state owned properties are also located within the work section including seven Wildlife Management Areas, one Public Fishing Area, and one State Park. Game Wardens assigned to this work unit are Cpl. Mitch Oliver, Cpl. Jeremy Bolen and K-9 Ruger, Cpl. Josh Swain, RFC David Fisher, and Ranger Ethan Franklin. \n33 \n \n Corporal Jeremy Bolen, along with his K-9 partner Ruger, was called on throughout the past year to participate in many details. Whether it was working a hunting complaint and utilizing Ruger to search for evidence or performing a K-9 demonstration at a local school, the pair logged many hours together in the field. \nCpl. Bolen was also called on numerous times this past year to perform as a member of the departments honor guard. Cpl. Bolen is also a firearms instructor and assisted with region firearms qualifications as well as the recently graduated Advanced Game Warden Academy. \nCpl. Bolen had several quality cases this past year involving illegal hunting and fishing. In July of 2016, Cpl. Bolen checked a local reservoir in Talbot County and found a fisherman to be over the daily creel limit of Crappie. Cpl. Bolen confiscated the fish and issued a citation for the violation. \nCpl. Bolen, with the assistance of Corporal Mitch Oliver and Sergeant Jim Bradfield, worked an ongoing investigation in November of 2016 involving a convicted felon hunting with a firearm. Cpl. Bolen had received information that the hunter was hunting property in close proximity to his house and was being dropped off by his wife. Cpl. Bolen located three deer at a local deer processor that the hunter had killed and the deer had been recorded on the hunter's license as being killed with a firearm. The hunter became aware that the Game Wardens were in the area searching for him and walked to a friend's house to make it appear that he was there doing yardwork. Cpl. Bolen interviewed the hunter, which eventually resulted in the subject admitting that he had been hunting that morning. The subject also told the officers where they could locate his firearm, which was in the backyard of the residence covered with leaves. The hunter as subsequently arrested for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and hunting deer without wearing fluorescent orange. \n34 \n \n In March of 2017, Cpl. Bolen received a complaint of someone killing multiple deer at night in Talbot County. The investigation gained traction in April when the complainant called back and provided three names that may have been involved in the incident. Cpl. Bolen and Cpl. Oliver went to one of the suspect's residence and learned that he, along with one of the other suspects, was fishing on neighboring property. The Game Wardens proceeded to locate the fishermen and after interviewing the 2 subjects, had full confessions and the correct name of the 3rd suspect. The officers later interviewed the 3rd subject at his residence and received a confession as well. All three men were charged with hunting deer at night and were issued written warnings for the other violations for their cooperation. \nCorporal Josh Swain is one of the region sonar operators and attended a weeklong sonar training session this past year. With his vast knowledge of the sonar equipment and computers, Cpl. Swain was tasked with installing the new sonar software on all the states sonar computers. Cpl. Swain travelled out of the section several times to assist other regions with searching for drowning victims. \nCorporal Mitch Oliver is a defensive tactics instructor and spent several weeks at the state training center in Forsyth recertifying and teaching at the Advanced Game Warden Academy. Cpl. Oliver completed the department's FTO certification training earlier this year along with other Game Wardens from around the state. Cpl. Oliver also traveled to Florida this past January where he served as an Instructor at the National Hunting Incident Investigation Academy. \nDuring the past deer season, Cpl. Oliver worked numerous complaints in Harris and Taylor Counties. One incident in Taylor County involved a deputy catching a subject returning to get a deer he had killed from the road earlier in the evening. Cpl. Oliver was called and asked to come to the county jail to charge the subject. Cpl. Oliver questioned the suspect when he arrived and learned that there was another subject in the vehicle when the deer was killed. The second suspect was contacted and asked to meet the officer at the jail. After interviewing the 2nd subject, both individuals were charged with hunting from a public road and hunting from a motor vehicle. \n35 \n \n In another case that Cpl. Oliver investigated in Taylor County, both the subjects from the above-mentioned case were suspects again. On November 15th, Cpl. Oliver learned that the 2 subjects had killed 3 deer on November 3rd and 4th and took them to a local deer cooler. Cpl. Oliver searched the license database and learned that only one of the suspects had a valid hunting license and it was purchased on November 5th. The records also showed that the deer were recorded by the hunter on the 3rd and 4th, prior to the hunter purchasing his license. Cpl. Oliver located the subjects and conducted interviews. Both subjects admitted to killing the deer and admitted to not having valid hunting license at the time. Both men were charged with hunting without a license and hunting without a big game license. \nSergeant Railey's Work Unit \nSgt. Brent Railey's work unit consists of Heard, Troup, Coweta, Meriwether, Fayette, Clayton, Henry, Spalding, and Pike Counties. Game Wardens in this unit patrol West Point Lake and several miles of the Chattahoochee River. Sgt. Railey's work unit also patrols several thousand acres of Wildlife Management areas. \nThis year, Sgt. Railey and his staff were very fortunate to receive a new boathouse on West Point Lake. This was a much-needed addition to this work unit and allows for secure storage of all DNR Law Enforcement vessels and equipment and also allows for a faster response to emergencies on the lake. Game Wardens assigned to this work unit are Cpl. Keith Waddel, Cpl. Travis Sweat, RFC Kevin Godbee, RFC Russell Epps, and Ranger Charles Follin. \n36 \n \n In May of 2017 Cpl. Keith Waddell found two subjects using illegal turtle baskets in the Flint River. Cpl. Waddell confiscated more than 50 illegal turtle baskets and several dozen turtles taken illegally. \nIn May of 2017, Cpl. Keith Waddell and Sgt. Brent Railey investigated a person suspected of possessing Gabon Vipers at his residence. These reptiles are illegal to possess in Georgia without a permit and are one of the most venomous snakes in the world. Game Wardens, along with the assistance of a reptile expert, confiscated the snakes. Charges are pending the completion of the investigation. \nIn the summer and fall of 2016, RFC Kevin Godbee investigated a group of people who were posting illegal activity on social media. The illegal activity included illegal trapping, hunting out of season, hunting from a public roadway, hunting from a motor vehicle and other illegal activities. This case involved multiple people in multiple locations over an extended period of time. RFC Godbee determined was able to later identify the subjects and secured search warrants for their residence and computers. The investigation is ongoing and charges are pending completion of the investigation. \n37 \n \n Cpl. Travis Sweat and Sgt. Brent Railey instructed a basic DNR laws and response course at the annual \"Man Tracker\" training conference sponsored by the Coweta County Sheriff's Office. The course was designed to educate police officers, deputy sheriffs, and others in the law enforcement community about how to respond to common DNR type calls they will receive through 911 systems. It also educated them on how the game and fish laws are written and how they can assist at a scene until a DNR LED Game Warden can arrive. Sergeant Fox's Work Unit \nSgt. Tony Fox's work unit consists of Butts, Jasper, Lamar, Monroe, and Upson Counties. In this work unit, Game Wardens patrol Lake Jackson, Lake Julliette, High Falls Lake, Indian Springs Lake, and several miles of the Ocmulgee and Flint Rivers. Additionally, this unit also patrols several thousand acres of Wildlife Management areas and two large State Parks. \nDuring this year, Sgt. Fox's unit received a new patrol boat that is assigned to Game Warden Jessica Spencer and will be used on Lake Jackson for Boating Safety patrols as well as Search and Rescue calls. Also, this work unit received a new boat house which replaced an aging existing facility that was donated to DNR many years ago by Georgia Power. Assigned to this work unit are Game Wardens Cpl. Tony Wynne, Cpl. Will Smith, RFC Keith Page and K-9 Rio, RFC Jessica Spencer, RFC Freddie Hays, RFC Jeremy Reese, and Ranger Ken Lalumiere. \n38 \n \n In October 2016, RFC Jeremy Reese transferred from Sgt. Kelly's work unit (Jones County) to Sgt. Fox's work unit. He is now assigned to Charlie Elliott/Jackson Lake. In November, Ken Lalumiere transferred from the Parks and Historic Sites Division to the Law Enforcement Division; he is assigned to Indian Springs State Park / Butts County. \nIn November 2016, RFC Jessica Spencer completed the NASBLA Advanced Boat Accident Investigations course held in Havana, Florida. RFC Jeremy Reese completed the Hunting Incident Investigations Academy, also held in Havana, Florida in January 2017. Cpl. Will Smith completed the first two blocks of instruction of the Professional Management Program offered at Columbus State University. \nThis past spring Region IV welcomed its newest K-9 member, \"Rio\", after the well-deserved retirement of RFC Keith Page's veteran partner, K-9 \"Drake\". K9 Drake served Region IV and the Law Enforcement Division from August 2006 until his retirement in January of 2017. Rio and Page completed the intensive 12-week K-9 training course held at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in June. \n \nGame Warden Page and Retired K-9 Drake \n \nGame Warden Page and K-9 Rio working hard during the 12-week training course for DNR K-9s \n \nThis past year Game Wardens from Sgt. Fox's work unit responded to 21 Search and Rescue events, primarily on and around the Ocmulgee and Flint Rivers, involving the recovery of 54 individuals. Wardens traveled 4,400 miles and expended 465 hours during these operations. Additionally, wardens investigated two fatal hunting incidents, one fatal boating incident, and four drownings, one of which occurred on High Falls State Park. \n39 \n \n Sergeant Kelly's Work Unit \nSgt. Bo Kelly's work unit consists of Putnam, Jones, Baldwin, Wilkinson, Twiggs, Houston, Bleckley, and Pulaski Counties. Game Wardens in this work unit are responsible for boating safety on Lake Sinclair as well as many miles of the Oconee and Ocmulgee Rivers. This work unit is also responsible for thousands of acres of Wildlife Management areas and two Public Fishing areas as well. Assigned to this work unit are Game Wardens Cpl. Lynn Stanford, Cpl. Robert Stillwell, RFC Ronnie Beard, Ranger Stephen Payne, and Ranger Jonathan Segars. \nIn the fall of 2016, Cpl. Lynn Stanford and RFC Jeremy Reese began an investigation that started from a picture posted on a social media site. The picture posted was from a location known to Game Wardens and was posted by an individual that officers had received complaints on for hunting without permission. Due to persistence and good investigative work, the Game Wardens were able to discover many other violations and decided to interview the subject about the incident. Upon completion of the investigation, it was determined and confirmed that the subject was hunting over bait, hunting without permission, and several other game violations were noted as well. During the course of the investigation, Game Wardens also learned that the subject had killed a buck inside of a high fence enclosure without permission in another County. After following up on this information, it was also discovered that the subject had been stealing property from the owner of the high fence property as well. \n40 \n \n In late 2016, four Asian men were arrested for hunting deer at night on the Morgan/Putnam County line by RFC Rickey Boles and Sgt. Bo Kelly. Game Wardens were working the area and setup to detect night deer hunting activity in the area. The suspects were apprehended after they shot at a deer in a field that Game Wardens were sitting on. \nGame Wardens worked two boating incidents on Lake Sinclair that involved boats striking the shoreline and/or docks. Upon completion of the investigation of both incidents, both operators were found to be intoxicated and were arrested. In both incidents, the boats and docks were heavily damaged. \nWork section Game Wardens also worked three drownings on Lake Sinclair during this period. Two of the incidents involved swimmers while the third was a fisherman who fell from his boat while out on the lake fishing. \n41 \n \n While there were tragedies to note on the lake this summer, Game Wardens, with the help of Georgia Power, were able to spread the word about the importance of wearing your life jackets while on the water. Below, Cpl. Robert Stillwell awards to young boaters who got caught wearing their life jackets. \nSgt. Bo Kelly and Cpl. Lynn Stanford completed DRE (Drug Recognition Expert) training in Forsyth. This training will allow both Game Wardens to be more proficient at checking hunters and boaters for drug impairment. DNR LED only has three Game Wardens certified through this program. Both Game Wardens also assisted with delivering new training across the state to all Game Wardens on new Seated Battery Field Sobriety Tests. RFC Ronnie Beard, pictured below, volunteered for and was selected to become a member of the Governor's Task Force (GTF) which is a statewide effort to seek out and eradicate marijuana grows. This detachment is for five months out of the year. \n42 \n \n Cpl. Robert Stillwell and Sgt. Bo Kelly apprehended a group of duck hunters in Pulaski County who were hunting waterfowl over a baited area. The small pond was baited with whole kernel corn. Citations were issued to all hunters and the ducks were confiscated. The ducks were donated to a needy family. \nDuring a firearms deer hunt on Oaky Woods WMA, Cpl. Robert Stillwell located a deer stand baited with corn. Cpl. Stillwell installed a trail camera in the area and was later notified by the camera that a hunter was approaching the baited area. Cpl. Stillwell then was able to enter the area where the hunter was hunting illegally and cite the hunter for several violations. Below is the picture that alerted Cpl. Stillwell of the approaching hunter. \n43 \n \n Section Game Wardens checked numerous hunters during this period, sometimes capturing the hunter's success with a picture. RFC Ronnie Beard posed with a young hunter who had some luck harvesting a deer during this past hunting season. On February 11th Game Wardens Ronnie Beard, Robert Stilwell, Bo Kelly, Josh Swain and Bubba Stanford assisted local volunteers with the 20th annual Quail Hunt for Kids. Archery, skeet competition, and quail hunting were available to nineteen kids who recently completed the hunter safety education course. \n44 \n \n Sergeant Jim Bradfield and Sergeant Wanda Roberts graduated from Command College and Columbus State University with a Masters of Public Safety Administration. Additionally, Cpl. Lynn Stanford and Cpl. Jeremy Bolen also completed the Professional Management Program at Columbus State University. \nGame Wardens Charlie Follin, Stephen Payne, Ethan Franklin, and Ken Lalumiere completed the Advanced Game Warden Academy and have begun field training. Game Warden Follin is assigned to Coweta and Fayette Counties, Game Warden Stephen Payne is assigned to Jones County, Game Warden Ethan Franklin is assigned to FDR State Park, and Game Warden Ken Lalumiere is assigned to Indian Springs State Park and Butts County. \n \nStephen Payne \n \nEthan Franklin \n \nKen Lalumiere \n \nCharles Follin \n \n45 \n \n Region V- Albany (Southwest) \nL-R: Capt. Rick Sellars, Sgt. Ellis Wynn, Cpl. Jesse Harrison, AOC Cindy Hynote, Cpl. Clint Martin, Sgt. Al Greer, Cpl. Tony Cox, Ranger David Jones, RFC Jon Penuel, RFC Quinn Fogle, RFC Steve Thomas, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Sgt. Bob Holley, Cpl. Steve Robinson, RFC Eric White, Sgt. Jim Atchley Kneeling: Cpl. Greg Wade, K-9 Trigg Not pictured: Sgt. David Ruddell, Secretary Shannon Boyd \nThe Region V Law Enforcement Division is comprised of twenty-nine counties in the southwest portion of the state with the headquarters located in Albany. Within the region, there are five large reservoirs, two major rivers, three smaller rivers, thirteen wildlife management areas, seven state parks, Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, and Ft. Benning Military Base. Currently, the region has seventeen POST certified game wardens assigned to its ranks with fifteen primarily assigned field responsibilities and Captain Rick Sellars and Sergeant Ellis Wynn assigned administrative responsibilities. The region also has two non-sworn administrative staff, Cindy Hynote the Administrative Assistant III, and Shannon Boyd the hourly secretary. \nSergeant Ellis Wynn, AOC Cindy Hynote, Captain Rick Sellars \n46 \n \n The region's twenty-nine counties are divided into four work units; each supervised by a sergeant. Sergeant Al Greer and his staff, Corporal Clint Martin and Corporal Jesse Harrison. Sergeant Greer's work unit covers Marion, Macon, Schley, Dooly, Sumter, Crisp, Lee and Turner counties. Key points of interest are Georgia Veterans State Park, Lake Blackshear, Flint River WMA, Montezuma Bluffs Natural Area, Cordele Fish Hatchery and Fall Line WMA. \nCorporal Jesse Harrison, Sergeant Al Greer, Corporal Clint Martin \nSergeant David Ruddell and his staff, Corporal Robbie Griner, Corporal Greg Wade, RFC Jon Penuel and RFC Eric White. Sergeant Ruddell's work unit covers Dougherty, Worth, Tift, Colquitt, Thomas and Brooks counties. Key points of interest are Lake Worth, Doerun Picture Plant Bog Natural Area, River Creek WMA, Chickasawhatchee WMA, DOT Mitigation sites and Albany Nursery WMA. \nCorporal Greg Wade and K-9 Trigg, RFC Jon Penuel, RFC Eric White \nSergeant Bob Holley and his staff, Corporal Tony Cox, Game Warden First Class Steve Thomas and Ranger David Jones. Sergeant Holley's work unit covers Grady, Decatur, Seminole, Miller, Early, Mitchell, and \n47 \n \n Baker Counties. Key points of interest include Lake Seminole, Seminole State Park, Kolomoki Mounds State Park, Chickasawhatchee WMA, Silver Lake WMA, Lake Seminole WMA and Elmodel WMA. \nRanger David Jones, Corporal Tony Cox, RFC Steve Thomas, Sergeant Bob Holley \nSergeant Jim Atchley and his staff, Corporal Scott Carroll, Corporal Steve Robinson and RFC Quinn Fogle. Sergeant Atchley's work unit covers Chattahoochee, Stewart, Webster, Quitman, Randolph, Terrell, Clay and Calhoun counties. Key points of interest include Chickasawhatchee WMA, Lake Walter F. George, Providence Canyon State Park, Florence Marina State Park, George Bagby State Park, Hannahatchee Creek WMA, Lake George WMA and Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge and Fort Benning Military Base. \nRFC Quinn Fogle, Corporal Scott Carroll, Corporal Steve Robinson, Sergeant Jim Atchley \n48 \n \n Region V staff received numerous awards and honors for their work throughout the year. RFC Quinn Fogle was the recipient of the Rocky Wainwright State Waterfowl Award. \nCaptain Rick Sellars presenting RFC Quinn Fogle the waterfowl award. \nSergeant Jim Atchley was selected as Instructor of the Year. Corporal Tony Cox and RFC Jon Penuel were selected as the regions Investigators of the Year as a result of their statewide investigation into the illegal killing of alligators. Corporal Jesse Harrison was selected for the 2016 Region 5 Ranger of the Year for his outstanding enforcement activities, and overall commitment to his profession. RFC Eric White was selected by the Dougherty County District Attorney's Office as their State Officer of the Year. \nDougherty County District Attorney Greg Edwards presents RFC Eric White with the District Attorney's State Officer of the Year Award. \n49 \n \n Region V experienced several personnel changes this year. Sergeant Rick Sellars was promoted to region captain following the retirement of Captain Jeff Swift on a medical retirement. Ranger Jay Lewis left the agency to pursue a career with Sumter County Sheriff's office. Corporal Robbie Griner suffered a potentially career-ending back injury in 2015 while conducting search and rescue efforts for a missing girl in Baker County, and has been unable to return to duty. Corporal Bob Holley was promoted to sergeant and assumed duties as the Sergeant Field Supervisor of the Lake Seminole Work. RFC Jesse Harrison was promoted to corporal in his work unit. Ranger David Jones joined the region staff and was assigned to Early County. He graduated the 31st Advanced Game Warden Academy in June and is currently in the FTO Program with Corporal Tony Cox assigned as his FTO. \nCaptain Rick Sellars pinning badge on Ranger David Jones during graduation ceremony. \n50 \n \n Creek, the region's K-9 was medically retired from service in December 2016 after five years of dedicated service. He passed away due to cancer on June 1, 2017. \nPassing of retired game wardens Sergeant Jack Hardage passed away on December 03, 2016 following failing health. Sergeant Hardage retired from the old Cordele District and will be greatly missed. Region 5 New Equipment An older Triton boat was replaced with an Edgewater 220 IS on Lake Seminole. \n51 \n \n Corporal Tony Cox with new Edgewater patrol boat assigned to Lake Seminole. \nGame Wardens in their communities Game Wardens continue to be involved in community activities, attending dinners with local groups and participating with various civic functions. This year Corporal Steve Robinson and RFC Quinn Fogle participated in the WC Bradley youth hunt conducted on the Bradley Farms along the Chattahoochee River. \nRFC Quinn Fogle assisting a young hunter with her first buck. \n52 \n \n Corporal Steve Robinson with youth hunters at the annual WC Bradley Youth Hunt. \nWardens participated in many programs at local schools this year, requests were received for safety programs related to safe jet-ski operation and general water safety prior to children being released for the summer. \nCorporal Jesse Harrison conducting a water safety program at a local school. \n53 \n \n Game Wardens continue to conduct investigations into illegal activities, working diligently to address landowner concerns and violations on state operated properties. On July 13th, Ranger David Jones and Corporal Tony Cox cited two individuals for shocking fish in the Flint River in Baker County. The case was the result of a three-month investigation into a complaint that was received via the Division's Facebook page. \nRanger David Jones with his first seized shocking device, confiscated on the Flint River. \nRFC Steve Thomas with a confiscated illegal alligator hide. \nOn May 5th, RFC Steve Thomas assisted the Grady County Sheriff's Office in serving a search warrant on a convicted felon suspected of being in possession of multiple illegal firearms. During the search an alligator hide was found in the subject's residence. The hide was not tagged nor did the subject possess any paperwork that would support the legal possession of the hide. Steve interviewed the subject who admitted to possessing the hide and stated that he obtained it from an individual in Florida. The subject was charged with possession of alligator or parts thereof and the hide was confiscated. The subject was also arrested by the Grady County Sheriff's Office for multiple felonies related to the search warrant. \n54 \n \n True public support...Nine Toes BBQ delivered plates by boat to the game wardens working Lake George during the July 4th holiday period. Here Corporal Scott Carroll enjoys his meal on the water. \nSergeant David Ruddell, Corporal Greg Wade, RFC Jon Penuel, and RFC Eric White posted five dove fields prior to hunting season as well as located seven in-progress baited dove shoots that resulted in over 50 citations. \nCorporal Jesse Harrison collecting bait sample from a dove field. \nDuck season for Sergeant Ruddell's group produced four baited duck ponds, four \"after hours\" roost shoots, and numerous license and bag limit violations. Within the six-county work section, the officers responded to multiple complaints of night deer hunting. Many hours were spent surveilling the most promising spots and resulted in the arrests of seven individuals for hunting deer at night, two of which were convicted felons. \nThis year also saw an increase in trapping and small game violations. The wardens located several trappers trapping out of season, trapping on the right of ways and trapping without permission, as well as several charges for hunting bobcats and foxes out of season. The wardens also apprehend and charge fourteen individuals for hunting turkeys, deer, and small game without permission, most of which were the result of focusing on complaints. Cpl. Wade also located and surveilled several traps deployed to trap birds of prey. \nA hawk caught in a \"blind pig\" trap baited with a live pigeon. One of several located by Corporal Greg Wade during an investigation into illegal trapping. \n55 \n \n Corporal Clint Martin, Sergeant Bob Holley, Corporal Jesse Harrison, and Sgt. Greer arrested fourteen individuals for hunting deer at night during this past hunting season. \nOn one of these night hunting cases, Corporal Jesse Harrison received a call around 10:30 p.m. in reference to night deer hunting. Following up on the information provided by the complainant, Corporal Harrison was able to gather evidence, locate the subjects, and charge them for hunting deer at night. Corporal Harrison worked on the investigation relentlessly for 12 hours after receiving the complaint before it was brought to a close. \nOn another night deer hunting investigation game wardens received information about several subjects shooting deer at night. After an eight day investigation the wardens charged four subjects for hunting deer at night in Sumter and Schley Counties. \nAs the use of kayaks and wake board boats continue to increase, wardens have fielded complaints of damage to property, littering and trespassing related to these specialized watercraft. Additional access points were created along several of our rivers and there is now a multitude of \"outfitters\" providing kayak services in the region. \n \nKayakers continue to explore the \n \nregions many rivers and streams in \n \nincreasing numbers. \n \nSeveral \n \nsearches were conducted this year to \n \nlocate overdue boaters. Here a \n \nkayaker begins an overnight trip on \n \nthe Flint River. \n \nCpl. Steve Robinson, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Sgt. Jim Atchley and RFC Quinn Fogle conducting boating patrols during the holiday period on Lake WF George. RFC Fogle holds up three fingers, indicative of the three BUI arrests he made during the patrols. \n56 \n \n Sergeant Jim Atchley (L) and Corporal Steve Robinson on an evening patrol on Lake WF George. \nWhile following up on the report of a huge 190 class whitetail buck killed in Webster County in November, RFC Quinn Fogle discovered the hunter had failed to purchase the required licenses. Following an interview by Quinn, it was determined the hunter had knowingly and intentionally hunted without licenses and the deer was confiscated. If killed legally this buck would have easily surpassed the current 157 3/8 record for Webster County. \nRFC Quinn Fogle and the illegally taken 190 class Webster County buck. \n57 \n \n Corporal Tony Cox and RFC Jon Penuel concluded an investigation related to multiple statewide alligator hunting violations that were discovered at the conclusion of the last alligator season. The two officers began a complex investigation focused on violations related to the state's alligator hunting program. Initially begun to look into violations of licenses infractions and unreported kills, the investigation has revealed a pattern of abuses of DNR's quota system by applicants, inherent issues with the quota system, and potential conspiracy among subjects across the state. Their investigation garnered them the region's selection for 2016's Investigator(s) of the Year. \nRegion 5 Investigator of the Year RFC Jon Penuel (L) and Sergeant David Ruddell. \nCorporal Tony Cox Region 5 Investigator of the Year Corporal Steve Robinson conducted foot and ATV patrols to address illegal and unsafe activities within Providence Canyon State Park. Corporal Robinson documented numerous violations and worked closely with park staff to improve signage, fencing and trails to increase visitor safety. \nCorporal Steve Robinson patrolling the canyons at Providence Canyon State Park. \n58 \n \n Wardens also addressed violations on state owned properties such as range violations on the wildlife management areas. \nGame Wardens patrolled WMA Ranges to curtail destruction of the facilities as pictured here. \nCorporal Steve Robinson with evidence associated with WMA range violations \nWaterfowl season was very productive across the region and wardens continued to address violations of hunting over bait, over the limits and boating safety. Regulations were also implemented on Lake Blackshear during the regulation cycle to address complaints related to waterfowl hunters shooting to close to houses and public use areas. \nA young hunter accompanying his father and friends on a successful Georgia duck hunt. \n59 \n \n Wardens were busy during alligator season as hunters were encountered hunting both day and night. Wardens in Region 5 have to contend with three alligator seasons involving Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge is also located on the Chattahoochee River in both Alabama and Georgia and requires constant attention, as it is not open to alligator hunting. Georgia wardens also attended the Alabama Game and Fish annual alligator meeting to provide insight into both state's seasons. \nCorporal Scott Carroll with remains of illegally killed alligator. \nGame Wardens received many complaints related to illegal dumping and burning of various materials as people attempt to avoid disposal fees at landfills. Wardens worked closely with county code enforcement officers to curtail the activity. Household trash dumped under local bridge being investigated by Corporal Greg Wade. \nBuilding demolition material being burned in a residential area to avoid landfill fees. \n60 \n \n CIRT team investigators responded to several incidents during the past year investigating boating fatalities and hunting incidents. \nCIRT Team member Corporal Clint Martin searching for evidence related to a hunting incident. RFC Quinn Fogle was recognized as the State Waterfowl Officer of the Year and awarded the Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award for his efforts. \nCorporal Scott Carroll and Waterfowl Officer of the Year RFC Quinn Fogle, with ducks confiscated following the apprehension of several hunters shooting a baited pond. \n61 \n \n Search and Rescue Operations January was a busy month for wardens in Southwest Georgia due to response and extended service to numerous storms. Downtown Albany was struck in early January with an F0 tornado/straight line winds event that required two weeks of 24-hour security. As the response for that storm wound down, Southwest Georgia was struck three days later with a rare Particularly Dangerous Situation (tornado) forecast by the National Weather Service. During the three day event, six tornadoes ranging from F0 to F3 intensity, struck ten counties in Region 5. The most notable storms were two F3 tornados. The first was a predawn tornado that struck Thomas, Brooks, and Cook Counties causing eleven deaths. Later that afternoon, another F3 tornado struck Baker, Dougherty, Worth, Turner, and Crisp causing five more deaths. Wardens were on scene and assisting at each of these events within minutes and continued search/relief efforts for over two more weeks. \nDestruction from the pre-dawn F3 tornado that stuck Thomas, Brook, and Cook counties, killing 11 and injuring 45 persons. Seven fatalities occurred at Sunshine Acres (pictured) in Cook County. \nThe path of the long-track F3 tornado that struck Region 5 on the afternoon of January 22nd. \nGame Wardens searching for victims in the heavily damaged areas along Holly Drive in south Albany. \n62 \n \n Aerial view of the Holley Drive Trailer Park in Albany destroyed by F-3 tornado on January 22nd. Five people were killed here by the F3 tornado that traveled through Baker, Dougherty, Worth and Crisp counties. \nWardens responded to various calls for service assisting residents and other agencies. Alligators, snakes and other wildlife were relocated, or the public was provided nuisance abatement information by wardens. \nGrey Rat snake removed from a house in Albany \nOne of many nuisance alligators being relocated \nWardens assisting injured occupants at a wreck involving a rollover. \n63 \n \n On July 11th Corporal Greg Wade, RFC Eric White and Sergeant Ellis Wynn assisted Albany Police and Fire Departments with the search for a missing 12 year old child with \nautism. During the two day incident the wardens searched the area around the residence using Corporal Wade's K-9 and conducted additional searches in wooded areas near the location. The child was eventually located deceased in a pond. \nCorporal Greg Wade and his K-9 Trigg assisting Albany Police Department during a search for a missing child in Albany Georgia \nGame Wardens were busy attending training throughout the year. \nThroughout the year, wardens attended numerous training sessions to build upon their expertise. Rangers attended Dove Field Training to stay abreast of current \"normal agricultural practices\" and NASBLA-BUI Seated Battery training to improve impaired operator detection. \nRFC Penuel attended the NASBLA-BUI Instructor course and assisted in implementing the training statewide. \nRFC Jon Penuel instructs wardens on the latest BUI detection techniques. \nCorporal Greg Wade, RFC Jon Penuel and Corporal Jesse Harrison attended the Field Training Officer (FTO) training program. Corporal Wade attended a two-week Defensive Tactics Refresher Course and RFC White became the region's newest sonar operator after attending a five day sonar training course at Lake Lanier. RFC White also attended the 2017 Hunting Incident Academy sponsored by Florida Fish and Wildlife. \n64 \n \n FTO Corporal Tony Cox discussing operations with Ranger David Jones \nCpl. Wade attended the 12-week K-9 Handler Course at GPSTC with K-9 Trigg to fill the Region 5 K-9 vacancy following Bob Holley's promotion to sergeant and K-9 Creek's untimely passing. Throughout the twelve weeks, Greg and his K-9 worked together on criminal apprehension, tracking, article locating, obedience, officer protection, and wildlife detection. Since graduation, Cpl. Wade and K9 Trigg have provided numerous Information and Education programs and have assisted several counties with article/evidence searches and tracking suspects. \nCorporal Greg Wade become the region K-9 handler and completed K-9 training at the training center with his new partner \"Trigg\". \nAll wardens participated in advanced lifesaving skills. Region wardens assisted with course instruction at the 31st Advanced Ranger Academy. Sergeant Jim Atchley taught the Vehicle and Boat EVOC course in the academy. RFC Penuel taught Wilderness First Responder and the updated Standardized Field Sobriety Training. Cpl. Wade taught Water Survival, Defensive Tactics, Quail-Shooting Preserve Enforcement and Man Tracking. Corporal Steve Robinson taught ATV and wildlife identification. Corporal Scott Carroll completed the PMP program at Columbus State University and is involved in training as a Firearms, ALERRT, ATV Instructor, and Environmental Law. Sergeant Jim Atchley continues to attend training related to his duties with the Peer Support Team and is participating in the PMP program. \n65 \n \n Region VI- Metter (Southeast) \nBack Row, L-R: RGR Randell Meeks, Cpl. Tim Hutto, Cpl. John Stokes, Cpl. Tommy Daughtrey, Cpl. Mark Pool, Cpl. Kevin Joyce, Cpl. Jason Shipes, Cpl. Shaymus McNeely, Cpl. Mike Wilcox, Cpl. Dan Stiles, RFC Daniel North Middle Row, L-R: Sgt. Patrick Dupree, Sgt. Jon Barnard, AA3 April Thrift, Sgt. Chris Moore, Capt. Scott Klingel, Sec. Christina Colquitt, Sgt. Brian Hobbins, Sgt. James McLaughlin, Sgt. Morty Wood Front Ror, L-R: RGR Lamar Burns, RFC Rodney Horne, RFC Clint Jarriel, RGR Joseph Cowart, RFC Bobby Sanders, RGR Christopher Thompson, RFC Jordan Crawford, RFC Jason Miller Not Pictured: Cpl. Chase Altman, RFC Allen Mills, RFC Sam Williams \nPersonnel Region VI received two new hires from the 31st Advanced Game Warden Academy. Ranger Joseph Cowart was assigned to S.C. Foster/Charlton County and Ranger Chris Thompson was assigned to Atkinson and Lanier Counties. Ranger Lamar Burns transferred from PRHS to Region VI and is assigned to Telfair County. Corporal Brian Hobbins promoted from Region III to Region VI as Sergeant over Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, Emanuel, Jenkins and Screven counties. April Thrift became the Administrative Assistant 3 for the Region Office after Sharon Simms promoted to the Administrative Assistant to the Director. Christina Colquitt became the Secretary for the Region VI Office after Melinda Monroe transferred to the dispatch center for DPS. RFC Debbie Brannen retired in September of 2016 from her assignment in Evans County. Evans County was combined with the Tattnall County assignment for RFC Clint Jarriel. Ranger Judd Sears transferred from his S.C. Foster/Charlton County assignment to Region VII in October 2016. RFC Keith McDonald left the department in August 2016. RFC McDonald was assigned to Lowndes County. Ranger Randell Meeks was promoted to Ranger 2 in July 2016. RFC Rodney Horne was married in December 2016 to Melissa Horne. RFC Jordan Crawford welcomed a baby boy (Wesley Randall Crawford) in July 2016. \n66 \n \n Awards Game Warden of the Year for Region VI is Jason Shipes. Corporal Jason Shipes was also selected as the Investigative Ranger of the Year. RFC Allen Mills was selected as the Hunter Education Instructor of the Year for the State Of Georgia. The TORCH Award for Region VI is RFC Jordan Crawford. The Rocky Wainwright Waterfowl Award nominee for Region VI is Corporal Tommy Daughtrey. Corporal Tommy Daughtrey was also selected as the National Wild Turkey Federation Officer of the Year. \nSafari Club International banquet in Atlanta honoring Cpl. Jason Shipes as Investigative Officer of the Year  January 2017 (Capt. Scott Klingel \u0026 Cpl. Jason \nShipes) \n67 \n \n Investigations \nOn Wednesday July 27, 2016, RFC Jason Miller and Sgt. Chris Moore went to an area in Bulloch County to investigate a complaint of an illegal tire dump. Game wardens located an estimated 800 - 1,000 tires dumped on a small piece of property. After a two-month long investigation and multiple interviews, RFC Miller charged a suspect with felony dumping of egregious waste. \nSergeant McLaughlin's work section spent many hours attempting to apprehend individuals trespassing and hunting Indian artifacts without permission. The wardens obtained a camera and through social media the suspects were identified. \nDuring the months of October and November 2016, RFC Jason Miller received numerous complaints concerning illegal hunting near the Brooklet area. The same two names kept coming up from multiple complainants. While investigating the two subjects, RFC Miller discovered pictures of one of the subjects with numerous antlered deer on his social media site. None of the deer had been properly recorded. While checking on the subject RFC Miller discovered that, the suspect was a convicted felon and had outstanding warrants. Using this information RFC Miller secured several arrest warrants for the subject and a search warrant for his residence. After several attempts to find the suspect, officers located him at a residence in Brooklet. They found firearms, drugs, and several deer racks at the residence. The suspect was arrested and charged with multiple counts of wildlife, drug, and weapons violations. \n68 \n \n On June 1, 2017 at 0430 hrs. Corporal Shaymus McNeely and RFC Jason Miller checked an area of ongoing illegal artifact digging on Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area in Screven County. Officers observed two people using head mounted and hand held lights. One subject was on the ground digging with their hands the other was digging with a shovel. After securing the suspects RFC Miller and Cpl. McNeely conducted a search of the suspect's vehicle. A plastic bag containing artifacts was located and seized. Illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia were also discovered. A search warrant was executed on the residence and additional artifacts and drugs were found. Both subjects were charged with illegal digging and trespassing as well as multiple drug charges. Night Hunting and CDP Activity Region VI continued its success in apprehending night hunters. Forty-two groups were caught with 273 contacts. These contacts included hunting deer at night, hunting big game from a public road, hunting from a vehicle, HUI, DUI, theft by receiving stolen property, driving on suspended license, blinding wildlife, possession of an open container, hunting without permission and multiple drug charges. \nEvidence photo from Emanuel County night hunt stop. \n69 \n \n Region VI used the Department's new fixed wing aircraft with equipped with a high powered camera system for several night flight details. \nSergeant James McLaughlin stopping a group of individuals spotlighting for deer. This image was taken from one half mile away. \nWardens are spending more time checking for crop damage permit compliance. This effort has resulted in contacts for violations of permits as well as several contacts for night hunting activity. Corporal Tim Hutto with confiscated heads from an investigation of crop damage permit violations. \n70 \n \n Response to natural disasters In the past few years, LED has been quick to respond for calls of assistance. This last year was no exception with Mother Nature dealing several blows to Georgia. Hurricane Hermine required some assistance, but Hurricane Matthew packed a punch. Nearly all of the Wardens in Region VI were involved in the state wide response when Hurricane Matthew struck the Georgia coast. Wardens assisted in evacuation/traffic control, debris clearing, security and other recovery details. Region VI Office served as the Incident Command Post for the response. \nRFC Allen Mills operating a chainsaw in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew \nRegion VI serving as ICP in the Hurricane Matthew response. \nRegion VI sent Wardens to assist local agencies with traffic and other public safety issues during the winter storm Helena in the Atlanta/Metro area. South Georgia was struck by several tornadoes and Region VI Wardens responded. Wardens assisted in search and rescue, security and cleanup efforts in multiple areas affected by the storms. \n71 \n \n Seven lives were taken and 36 mobile homes were destroyed at the Sunshine Acres mobile home park in Cook County due to one of the several storms that hit Georgia. (Sergeant Morty Wood \u0026 Sergeant Patrick Dupree) \nDamage from one of the tornadoes that hit the Albany area. \nA lightning strike started the West Mims Fire in the Okefenokee Swamp. The massive wildfire burned more than 152,000 acres. GA DNR LED responded along with many other agencies that included several states, federal and private personnel. Wardens served a vital role in providing security, traffic control, and safety patrols. Wardens also provided additional eyes for spotting flare-ups along the swamp perimeter. The response to the wildfire lasted for most of the spring of 2017. \nControlling access to the National Wildlife Refuge. \n72 \n \n Region VI Wardens also participated with Region VII and the National Guard in Operation Vigilant Guard. This is an exercise in providing assistanst to the barrier islands in case they are affected by severe storms. \nWardens with their ATV's and the National Guard support helicopter. \nOther Activities Along with working several natural disasters, Wardens also completed their normal duties of working boating accidents, hunting accidents, drownings, and search and rescues. Community support for DNR LED is vital and Region VI has done well in developing that support. \nGame Wardens participated in the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop field day held at Paradise Public Fishing Area in Berrien County. The wardens assisted approximately 160 young men and women with firearms safety and shooting sporting clays at the event. \n73 \n \n Sergeant Patrick Dupree and RFC Daniel North served as guides for the March 2017 NWTF youth turkey hunt in Lowndes County. Pictured below is the results of the event. \nWardens participated in numerous Career Days at local colleges and high schools. As well as having booths and laser shot games set up at local fairs and other community events. \nRFC Sam Williams at Echols High School Career Day \n74 \n \n Region VII- Brunswick (Coastal) \nPictured (L/R) Kneeling, L-R: Sgt. Mark Carson, Captain Bob Lynn, Sgt. Damon Winters, Sgt. Phillip Scott, Sgt. Chris Ridley, Sgt. Cindy Miller. Standing, L-R: Mechanic Gary Denis, Cpl. Bill Bryson, RFC Kiel Toney, RFC Jack Thain, Chaplin Greg Loskoski, Cpl. Barry Britt, Cpl. Randy Aspinwall, Cpl. Bobby White, Cpl. Buster Cooper, RFC Patrick Gibbs, RFC Tim Morris, RFC Mark Day, RFC Jay Bright, RFC Judd Sears, RFC David Brady, RNG Doug Chambers, RFC Colte Shaske, Cpl. John Evans. On Boat, L-R: Cpl. Kate Hargrove, P/T secretary Rhonda Knight, AOC Janette Senior, License Clerk Kay Readdick Not pictured: K-9 Case and RNG Josh Cockrell \nRegion VII is comprised of nine counties (Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, Long, Wayne, McIntosh, Brantley, Glynn, and Camden). We focus heavily on the commercial fishing industry and offshore Federal fisheries. This year was another typical year for the rangers in Region VII. Our efforts ranged from our \"normal\" hunting and fishing violations to assisting other agencies with crowd control to numerous illegal commercial fishing violations. July 2, Cpl. Bobby White and RFC Patrick Gibbs were on patrol on the Altamaha River. Cpl. White noticed something in the water drifting downstream. He told RFC Gibbs, who stood up at the bow of the boat to get a better look. RFC Gibbs saw a yellow toy being held by a small child who was sinking below the surface of the water. Cpl. White pulled the boat to the spot where the child went down and RFC Gibbs dropped his gun belt and dove into the water. RFC Gibbs was able find the child under the murky water of the Altamaha River and swim toward the surface. His life jacket deployed and shot him and the child to the surface. Cpl. White was waiting and pulled the boat alongside RFC Gibbs and the child. Cpl. White pulled the child into the boat and began back thrust. The child expelled a large amount of water and began breathing on his own and talking to the Game Wardens. The Game Wardens pulled up to the people on the bank who had noticed the commotion. RFC Gibbs gave the child to his father, who hadn't noticed the child being swept from the sandbar by the current. \n75 \n \n On July 21st, around 1330 hrs. , Glynn County Drug Task Force requested assistance from LED with a fugitive out of North Carolina. The US Marshal's Fugitive Task Force had made contact with Glynn County about the fugitive working on a commercial shrimp trawler in Brunswick. The trawler was tied to the dock and under surveillance by Glynn County. LED Captain Bob Lynn and Sergeants Mark Carson and Chris Ridley were asked to provide a boat in case the fugitive jumped into the river or if the trawler left the dock. A short while later, the trawler left the dock heading out the shipping channel. LED and a USCG boat intercepted the trawler escorting it back to the dock were members of the Glynn County Task Force were waiting. Once at the dock, Captain Lynn and Sgt. Carson boarded the trawler. The fugitive was arrested without incident. LED officers assisted with a search of the trawler. On October 7, Hurricane Mathew made landfall on the Georgia Coast. Luckily the Hurricane stayed offshore. The Georgia coast got Hurricane and Tropical Force winds, rain, and some storm surge. Rangers from all over the state were put in stand by status and some were activated to a Strike Team. These teams were staged up and down the coast for re-entry. On the morning of the 8th Rangers from Region VII made their way back to check on their residence. Once their residences were checked, Rangers met up with Strike teams to assist with storm damage. Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island in Glynn County and McIntosh County had significant damage and DNR Rangers assisted with getting roads cleared. The Strike Teams consisted of 7-8 Rangers with chainsaws and skid steer tractors. This aided counties with tree removals. \n76 \n \n During the 2016 hunting season, Game Wardens in Region VII conducted numerous night hunting patrols. Region VII has two scheduled night flights utilizing our air assets. These patrols included catching 13 groups of night hunters. Twenty-five people were cited with 65 citations and one warning. \nOn the night of November 25, 2016, RFC Thain and Sgt. Scott were observing an area for night hunting violations. The Rangers noticed a light coming from a house very nearby. The light was sweeping over very good deer habitat. The Rangers approached the house and discovered that the individual shining the light over deer habitat was holding a rifle. Upon investigation the Rangers found that the rifle was a 30-06, loaded, and had a round in the chamber. The hunter was charged with hunting deer at night. \nOn December 11th, Ranger Judd Sears responded to a night hunting complaint from Brantley County Sheriff's Office near Hoboken. Ranger Sears arrived on scene and a Brantley County deputy had observed a subject shoot from a vehicle at a deer from GA 520/ Hwy 82. Ranger Sears located a 20 gauge shotgun in the vehicle along with a spent 20 gauge shell. Multiple flashlights were located throughout the vehicle. These subjects were in possession of one illegally killed deer from prior to this traffic stop. The driver admitted to killing the first deer at night at another location and the passenger admitted to shooting at this deer. Violations were documented for hunting deer at night, hunting big game from a public road, and hunting from a motor vehicle. \nOn December 30th, 2016, RFC Toney checked a fisherman coming in at the Demeries Creek boat ramp. The fisherman had approximately six bushels of oysters. Upon investigation, RFC Toney found that the fisherman gathered the oysters from an area not approved by the Department. It was also determined that the fisherman had no fishing license, no registration, and had approximately four bushels of oysters over the limit. The fisherman was cited for the violations. All the oysters were seized and returned to the water. \nOn December 31, Sgt. Cindy Miller was conducting dockside boarding's for the Joint Enforcement Agreement (JEA) when she came across a boat that had 4 red snapper. Evidence was collected and the case was turned over to NOAA to handle. Red snapper are illegal to catch and possess in Federal waters. \n77 \n \n Region VII replaced one 35' Contender that was a 2001 model with a 2017 12 Meter (40') Impact made by Boston Whaler. This patrol boat is equipped with triple Mercury 350 Verado Outboard motors, A/C, Garmin Chart plotter with Radar and Side Scan Sonar capabilities. The purchase took 2 JEA cycles to complete all of the purchases. This patrol vessel will be utilized for offshore and near shore patrols. This patrol vessel will also allow Game Wardens to patrol Marine Protected Areas (MPA's) that are located 80-115 miles offshore of Georgia's coast. This vessel was a $400,000.00 investment that will serve Region VII for years to come. \nOn Friday, January 13, 2017, RFC Thain and Sgt. Scott were conducting a saltwater patrol checking for compliance with state and federal laws. The two Game Wardens were patrolling the area of the Medway River close to St. Catherine Sound. They stopped a recreational fishing vessel that was coming in from offshore at approximately 1650 hours. The vessel had two men on board. Upon checking the vessel for compliance, I found a Red Snapper approximately 16.5 inches long. Possession of Red Snapper is closed in federal waters and the Red Snapper that the two men had was undersized by Georgia law. The information will be turned over to the National Marine Fishery Service. On March 11th, RFC David Brady concluded a commercial crabbing investigation that he began on February 14. Multiple commercial traps had been located in the closed water of Turtle River and after investigating further Brady determined that several of the traps had been stolen from another commercial fisherman. The suspect was charged with placing crab traps in closed water, working traps of another without permission, theft by receiving stolen property and operating boat without having commercial numbers displayed. The stolen traps were returned to the rightful owner. \n78 \n \n On April 20th, Game Warden Cpl. John Evans responded to a boating Incident at the Meeting Street boat ramp in St. Mary's. The 24-year-old operator struck the corner of the dock at a high rate of speed causing significant damage to the 17 foot vessel. There was no damage to the dock. The operator and passenger refused treatment by EMS on scene. After interviewing the operator, he was arrested for BUI and had a BAC of .172. \nOn April 29th, Cpl. John Evans and RFC Patrick Gibbs were patrolling the Altamaha River around the Barrington area. At just before midnight the game wardens encountered a boat with improper lights. They stopped the vessel and discovered it was being operated by a subject the game wardens had charged with BUI last year. His boating privileges were suspended. Further investigation showed the operator was again under the influence and was also in possession of crystal methamphetamine. The violator was arrested and charged with BUI, operating while privileges are suspended, improper lights, no registration, and violation of the GA controlled substance act (Felony possession of methamphetamine). \nOn May 9, 2017, Ranger Doug Chambers, Corporal Jay Morgan, and Sgt. Cindy Miller were on saltwater patrol offshore of Little Tybee Island and noticed the Captain Hai shrimp vessel appeared to be dragging inside three miles (state waters) which was closed. The Captain Hai was approximately 2.62 miles offshore dragging. They followed the Captain Hai to Nelson Seafood dock in Thunderbolt and advised Nguyen that he was being charged with using power drawn nets in closed waters (more than 1/4 mile). They advised Nguyen he did not have a valid state commercial fishing and commercial boat license, nor did he have a valid Federal Penaeid Permit. Captain Hai was charged with a state violation of using power drawn nets 2.62 miles inside. Captain Hai was also charged federally for not having a valid Federal Penaeid Shrimp Permit and 115 pounds of shrimp were confiscated. \nMay 20, 2017, Captain Bob Lynn and RFC Patrick Gibbs assisted with weighing in the days catch at the 6th annual Fishing for a Cure pan fish tournament in Long County. The tournament raised enough money to assist six families with special needs children by presenting a $12,000 check to reach family. \n79 \n \n On May 22, 2017 at approximately 1611 hours, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Agent Ben Hughes, Sgt. Cindy Miller, Cpl. Barry Britt, and Cpl. Jay Morgan checked a boat at Lazaretto Creek boat ramp. During an inspection of a boat the officers found undersized black sea bass and an illegal red snapper. They also found shark fins hidden in the vessel. Federal charges were brought against the fisherman. \nOn June 24, 2017 Sgt. Scott and RFC Morris were patrolling the salt water fishing areas of Bryan County. The two Game Wardens were slowly approaching a vessel with two men on board fishing. RFC Morris noticed one of the men leaning over near the back of the boat and a large fish in the water. As the Game Wardens continued to get closer to the fishermen they noticed that the large fish was now drifting away from the anchored vessel. The fish was retrieved from the water and found to be a large Red Drum. When asked about the fish one of the anglers admitted to having the fish on board but trying to sink or otherwise get rid of the fish before they could be checked. The size limit for Red Drum is a slot limit from 14-23 inches. This Red Drum was 41 inches long, 18 inches over the limit. The fish was seized and the fisherman was cited for possession of the illegal Red Drum and for concealing wildlife. \n80 \n \n During this year, Region VII had excellent officers performing above and beyond expectations. Cpl. John Evans was the Region Ranger of the Year, RFC David Brady was the Region Boating Officer of the Year, RFC Patrick Gibbs was the Torch Award winner, and RFC Jack Thain was the Region Investigator of the Year. Region VII is the only Region capable of providing a unique opportunity to assist the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by participating in a Joint Enforcement Agreement (JEA). Officers enforce Federal Fishing laws and regulations for NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement from 3 miles to 200 miles offshore of Georgia's Coast. During this time period, Region VII rangers boarded 62 Shrimp trawlers contacting 150 people regarding Turtle Excluder Devices and net dimension. We documented 4 state violations and 3 Federal violations regarding TED enforcement. 4 Trawlers were caught trawling in Georgia waters while the shrimping season was closed. Game Wardens checked 144 boats and contacted 639 people during JEA patrols. These are the hours provided during this agreement period, July 1, 2016June 30, 2017 include the following: Large Vessel: 245 vessel hours (3 officers per vessel) Mid-Range Vessel: 217 vessel hours (2 officers per vessel) GRNMS: 50 vessel hours (3 officers per vessel) Dockside Inspection: 196 man-hours ALWTRP: 76 vessel hours Aircraft Support hours- 50 flight-hours Public Outreach: 78 man-hours \n81 \n \n Investigative Unit \nThe Investigative Unit (IU) is comprised of two full-time investigators. The IU is responsible for undercover investigations, Special Permit Unit (SPU) inspections and violations, the administration of the Critical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT) and the Marine Theft Unit (MTU). The IU depends heavily on assistance from uniformed Game Wardens. Statewide, 14 Game Wardens perform a collateral duty called \"Regional Investigator\". Regional Investigators assist the IU with various duties. \nUndercover Investigations The Region Investigators are full-time Game Wardens who have received training in undercover operations and equipment. They perform this collateral duty in addition to their everyday Game Warden duties. The primary function of the Investigative Unit is to provide uniform Game Wardens with investigative support. The Investigative Unit is responsible for plain-clothes and long-term investigations. \nLast year, the Investigative Unit conducted and managed over 329 investigations and calls for assistance from the field. These investigations were comprised of intelligence gathering, buy/bust, and both short and long-term investigations. The focus of many of these investigations included the sale or possession of wildlife and wild animals. These violations are difficult to address without the aid of undercover officers. \nCritical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT) Georgia has 16 CIRT investigators assigned throughout the state. CIRT investigates all fatality and serious injury boating and hunting incidents. Each investigator receives specialized training on investigating and presenting these cases. Last year, CIRT investigated 14 boating and seven hunting incidents. These incidents resulted in 19 fatalities. \nMarine Theft Unit (MTU) The primary function of the MTU is to assist law enforcement officers in the field. The MTU conducts computer database and offline searches, locates hidden hull identification numbers, and assists with locating and recovering stolen vessels. The MTU also serves as the point of contact for customers as well as court systems related to the abandoned vessel process. Last year, the MTU received 86 abandoned vessel requests from the public and fielded numerous phone calls related to the abandoned vessel process. \nSpecial Permits Unit \nThe Law Enforcement Division of our agency administers the Special Permits Unit. This unit is responsible for permitting captive wildlife and wild animals in addition to some specialty-take permits such as Scientific Collection Permits. The Unit also coordinates inspections on all permitted wild animal facilities throughout the state. \n82 \n \n K-9 Unit \nThe Division continues to use K-9s to enhance patrol efforts by Conservation Rangers and provide assistance to other agencies for man tracking and article searches. Training this year included a refresher on Tactical Tracking for Felons/Dangerous Suspects. Currently the Division has eight K-9/Handler teams deployed statewide. Four new K-9s were acquired and trained in house by the Unit's chief handler. The K-9 School is 10 weeks in duration and is held at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. The agency uses the German Sheppard breed imported from the Czech Republic. K-9/Handler Teams are trained in wildlife detection, man tracking, article searches, officer protection, apprehension, agility and obedience. Georgia currently has eight K-9/Handler teams across the state. \nL-R: Cpl. Books Varnell and K-9 Rock, RFC Micheal Crawley and K-9 Storm, Cpl. Tim Hutto and K-9 Titan, Cpl. Bob Holley and K-9 Creek, RFC Keith Page and K-9 Drake, RFC Eric Isom and K-9 Colt, Cpl. Jeremy Bolen and K-9 Ruger, Cpl. Kevin Joyce and K-9 Briar \n83 \n \n Training Unit \nThe 2016 In-Service Training consisted of an 8-hour block entitled NASBLA Seated Battery Transition Training course. This course was designed to transition officers into new testing protocols, which allow the marine officer the advantage of conducting sobriety tests while still out on the water with a validated degree of certainty. No longer is it necessary to detain suspected intoxicated boat operations and take them ashore to conduct conventional \"standing SFSTs\". The Seated Battery Transition Course consists of a review of horizontal gaze nystagmus, validation of the SFSTs, administrative procedures for administering and evaluating the seated battery of SFSTs, demonstrations and student practice of the seated battery of SFSTs, evaluation of test subjects, and a student proficiency exam and check off. Rangers were also provided with a 3-hour block of Dove Field Training. This mandatory training was designed to increase accountability and consistency in enforcement efforts of Georgia's dove L-R: Training \u0026 Dev. Spec. I Mandy James, Lt. Sam O'Neal, PT \nSecretary Debra Hollar \nfields. Officers also received a 3-hour block of instruction entitled \"Officer Involved Shooting\" taught by GBI Agent John Durden. The purpose of this training was to prepare Game Wardens for the expectations of GBI investigators during Use of Force Investigations. This training was also mandatory for all certified officers. In addition, rangers were provided with a block of Firearms Requalification and Use of Deadly Force training within each Region. This course is part of the required yearly in-service training and is very helpful in updating officer's knowledge on topics they are involved with daily. \nDuring 2017 In-Service training, all Game Wardens received the NASBLA Seated Battery transition training course as part of their annual Standardized Field Sobriety training. The officers will now use the seated battery when evaluating suspected BUI offenders. \nIn May, the entire agency began training in Critical Incident Management by sending front line responders to a 24-hour Critical Incident Management Class. The class, coordinated by the Law Enforcement Division with instruction delivered by instructors from each division, was provided to a cross-section of employees from across the agency to continue fostering teamwork and interdivisional collaboration. The class uses curriculum developed by the IACP and incorporates tabletop exercises with scenarios that are typical for a Natural Resource Agency response. \n84 \n \n Officer Involved Shooting Training was conducted for all DNR POST-certified officers. This training was conducted in all seven regions by Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) ASAC John Durden. The training was designed to inform officers of what to do if involved in, or responding to, an officer involved shooting. It also provided information of what to expect from the GBI when they investigate these incidents. The Training Unit also hosted the 31st Game Warden Academy. During the 15-week academy, cadets received a wide variety of Conservation Law Enforcement specific training. This training included 80 hours of NASBLA BOAT course training for BCM (Boat Crew Member) and BOSAR (Boat Operator Search And Rescue). These comprehensive courses were delivered at Lake Walter F. George by Pete Louzao from NASBLA and our in-house NASBLA certified officers. Water survival training was also implemented into the 31st Game Warden Academy. The 10-hour course was provided weekly in 1-hour modules. Cadets swam approximately three miles during the training. During most of the training, cadets were pants, gun belt, shoes, and ballistic vest in order to provide the most realistic situations possible. \n85 \n \n Aviation Unit \nL-R, Larry Rogers, Capt. Steven Turner, Maj. Doc Watson, Capt. Ed Watkins, John Peberdy \nThe LED Aviation Support Unit supports all state agencies and all DNR Divisions, utilizing two Bell 407 helicopters, one Bell L4 and a fixed wing Quest Kodiak 100 aircraft. The Aviation Unit flew a total of 1,082 flight hours this past year, which attributed the unit receiving the 2016 Helicopter Association International (HAI) Aviation Safety Award. The year started out with a busy July. The first support was for Operation Dry Water over the July 4th weekend, conducting aerial patrols over Lake Hartwell and Clarks Hill Lake. Support was also provided to the Georgia Forestry Commission in July flying 24 hours and dropping 170 buckets of water on wild fires. Support for the Georgia Forestry Commission continued throughout the year with the Aviation Unit flying a total of 143 hours and dropped 1,077 buckets of water on wild fires across the state. \n86 \n \n The Aviation Unit flew 386 hours in support of the Division's Game Wardens as they conducted their core mission of protecting the states waterways and woodland areas. This consisted of flying support throughout the hunting season from early fall through early spring. Game Wardens were flown on county surveys looking for baited food plots, duck ponds and illegal shrimping along the Georgia coast. Flight support was also provided for Operation Dry Water, night deer poaching/spotlighting patrols, and searches for missing person and drowning victims across the state. The Wildlife Resource Division (WRD) was provided aviation support during surveys of bald eagles, kestrel, sandhill cranes and waterfowl. Captain Ed Watkins flew these same flights along the Georgia coast in addition to surveys for sea turtles, dolphins and the tagging of manatee. In addition to the WRD surveys, the Aviation Unit flew prescribed burns on the State WMA's during the late winter months of January through March 2017. \nThe Aerial Observer program has proven to be very successful. The additional trained aerial crewmembers in northern Georgia have expedited the response time for search and rescue (SAR) requests in some cases. The Aviation Unit conducted five long line rescues and flew 78 hours for search and rescue (SAR), drownings and missing person missions with aerial observers. \nThe Unit purchased a TASE 5000 camera system, which was installed on the Kodiak Quest fixed-wing aircraft. Three Game Wardens assumed additional duties as TASE camera operators, which has greatly enhanced the Aviation Unit's capability to support Game Wardens in conducting their primary mission of protecting the states waterways and woodland areas. \nThe year ended with the Aviation Unit moving three aircraft, support equipment, maintenance shop, and the offices of four personnel to an existing hangar location on the Fulton County Charlie Brown Airport. \n87 \n \n Honor Guard \nFront L-R: Cpl. Josh Chamber, Cpl. Travis Sweat, RFC David Brady, Cpl. Ben Payne, Cpl. Derek Dillard, Cpl. Jeremy Bolen, Cpl. Scott Carroll Back L-R: RFC Clint Jarriel, Cpl. Bob Holley, RFC Cody Jones, RFC Micheal Crawley, Cpl. Brooks Varnell, Cpl. Robbie Griner, Cpl. Chase Altman \nHonor Guard Details \n August 10, 2016: Honor Guard members Cpl. Ben Payne and RFC Clint Jarriel participated at the visitation for funeral for George L. Smith State Park Manager Matt Muhmel in Statesboro, Georgia. \n August 11, 2016: Honor Guard members Cpl. Ben Payne and RFC Clint Jarriel conducted a funeral detail at the funeral of George L. Smith State Park Manager Matt Muhmel in Statesboro, Georgia. \n August 18, 2016: Honor Guard members Cpl. Brooks Varnell and RFC Clint Jarriel participated in the funeral of Eastman Police Officer Tim Smith at Dodge Co. High School who was killed in the line of duty. \n October 28, 2016: Honor Guard member RFC Clint Jarriel participated at the visitation for the funeral of retired Ranger Spence Adams in Pearson, Georgia. \n October 29, 2016: Honor Guard members Cpl. Chase Altman and RFC David Brady conducted a funeral detail as honorary pallbearers for retired Ranger Spence Adams in Axon, Georgia. \n November 10, 2016: Honor Guard members Cpl. Travis Sweat and Cpl. Chase Altman participated in the funeral detail for Peach Co. Deputy Sgt. Patrick Sondron in Warner Robbins, Georgia who was killed in the line of duty. \n November 12, 2016: Honor Guard members Cpl. Jeremy Bolen and Cpl. Bob Holley participated in the funeral detail for Peach Co. Deputy Daryl Smallwood in Warner Robbins, Georgia who was killed in the line of duty. \n December 5, 2016: Honor Guard members Cpl. Scott Carroll and Cpl. Bob Holley participated in the visitation for the funeral of retired Sgt. Jack Hardage in Montezuma, Georgia. \n December 6, 2016: Honor Guard members Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Travis Sweat and RFC Clint Jarriel conducted a funeral detail for retired Sgt. Jack Hardage in Montezuma and Oglethorpe, Georgia. \n88 \n \n  January 29, 2017: Honor Guard member RFC Cody Jones participated in the visitation for the funeral of retired Ranger George \"Tom\" Dooley in Ellijay, Georgia. \n January 30, 2017: Honor Guard members Sgt. Derek Dillard, Cpl. Brooks Varnell and RFC Cody Jones conducted a funeral detail for retired Ranger Georgia \"Tom\" Dooley in Ellijay, Georgia. \n March 5, 2017: Honor Guard members Cpl. Ben Payne and RFC Clint Jarriel conducted a funeral detail for former DNR board member Duncan Johnson Sr. in Augusta, Georgia. \n March 13, 2017: Honor Guard members Cpl. Jeremy Bolen, Cpl. Chase Altman, Cpl. Travis Sweat and RFC Clint Jarriel conducted the presentation of colors at the 27th Annual Training Seminar for the International Association of Marine Investigators in Savannah, Georgia. \n April 8, 2017: Honor Guard members Sgt. Derek Dillard, Cpl. Jeremy Bolen and Cpl. Travis Sweat conducted a funeral detail for retired Capt. Ralph Sheppard in Atlanta, Georgia. \n April 19-21, 2017: All Honor Guard members available conducted training where they practiced marching, close order drill, presentation of colors, flag folding and the 21-gun salute. \n May 2, 2017: Honor Guard members Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Ben Payne and RFC David Brady conducted a funeral detail for retired Game Warden Talmadge \"Smitty\" Hughes in Richmond Hill, Georgia. \n May 17, 2017: Honor Guard members Sgt. Derek Dillard, Sgt. Bob Holley, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Jeremy Bolen, Cpl. Travis Sweat, Cpl. Josh Chambers, Cpl. Ben Payne, Cpl. Cody Jones and Cpl. Brooks Varnell conducted the presentation of colors, laying of the wreath and 21 gun salute at the Fallen Game Warden Memorial at DNR LED Headquarters Office in Social Circle, Georgia. \n May 19, 2017: Honor Guard member Cpl. Travis Sweat participated in the Peace Officer's Memorial Day in Macon, Georgia. \n May 22, 2017: Honor Guard members Sgt. Derek Dillard, Sgt. Bob Holley, Cpl. Ben Payne, Cpl. Scott Carroll, Cpl. Travis Sweat, Cpl. Jeremy Bolen, Cpl. Brooks Varnell and Cpl. Cody Jones participated in the Peace Officer Memorial even at the GPSTC in Forsyth, Georgia by conducted the 21-gun salute. \n June 23, 2017: Honor Guard members Sgt. Derek Dillard, Sgt. Bob Holley, Cpl. Travis Sweat, Cpl. Jeremy Bolen, Cpl. Ben Payne, Cpl. Scott Carroll and RFC David Brady participated in the 31st Advanced Game Warden Academy by conducting the presentation of colors at GPSTC in Forsyth, Georgia. \n89 \n \n Chaplains \nFront row, L-R - Marc Crandlemire, John Haney, Brandon Brooks, Tac Coley, Randy Lamb, Rudy Ross Back row, L-R  Joel Vinson, Gregory Loskoski, Charles Houston, Jr., Chip Strickland, Daryl Brown \nThe 11 members of the DNR Law Enforcement Division Chaplain Corps currently serve four of the state's seven Regions. \n90 \n \n Promotions: \nCpl. John Evans Sgt. Brian Hobbins Capt. Stan Elrod Sgt. James Keener Sgt. Jason Roberson Capt. Rick Sellars Cpl. Ben Cunningham Cpl. Jeff Billips Ranger 2 Doug Chambers Sgt. Bob Holley Cpl. Cody Jones Cpl. Barton Hendrix Cpl. Eric Isom \nTransfers: \nTommy Crabb Lamar Burns Ken Lalumiere \nRetirements: \nSgt. Don Dasher RFC Debbie Brannen Capt. Mark Padgett Cpl. Tommy Gentry Sgt. John VanLandingham Cpl. Lee Burns Ranger. 2 Jay Lewis Capt. Jeff Swift \n \nActivity Summary \nHunter Ed Programs I\u0026E Programs Boating Safety Programs Hunter Development \n \nFY2017 158 1,398 \n348 328 \n \nTotal Programs \nWater SAR Cases Water SAR Hours Vessels Assisted Water Persons Asst. \n \n2,232 \n237 3,989 267 700 \n \nLand SAR Cases Land SAR Hours Land Persons Asst. \n \n156 1,528 280 \n \nHunting Incidents \n \n33 \n \nBoating Incidents \n \n147 \n \nDrownings \n \n61 \n \nHunting License Checks Fishing License Checks Comm. License Checks \n \n22,585 31,381 580 \n \nTotal License Checks 54,546 \n \nBoat Checks \n \n31,103 \n \nBoating Contacts Hunting Contacts Fishing Contacts Trapping Contacts Environmental Contacts Other Contacts \n \n4,240 4,450 2,584 50 \n360 2,765 \n \nTotal Contacts \n \n14,449 \n \n91 \n \n 92 \n \n "}],"pages":{"current_page":1,"next_page":null,"prev_page":null,"total_pages":1,"limit_value":10,"offset_value":0,"total_count":6,"first_page?":true,"last_page?":true},"facets":[{"name":"type_facet","items":[{"value":"Text","hits":6}],"options":{"sort":"count","limit":16,"offset":0,"prefix":null}},{"name":"creator_facet","items":[{"value":"Georgia. Department of Natural Resources (1972- ). Law Enforcement Division, author.","hits":3},{"value":"Georgia. Department of Natural Resources. 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