November 3 through November 9, 2023

This report represents some events the FWC handled over specified weeks; 
however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.

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CASES

Columbia County

• Senior Officer Johnston was on patrol at Osceola Wildlife Management Area when he located a group of vehicles with dog boxes. After a brief interview, one of the subjects was found to be pursuing deer with dogs during a closed season for training deer dogs and/or hunting in the Osceola WMA. The subject showed Officer Johnston the location of his six dogs on a global positioning system tracker. Officer Johnston remained with the subjects until all dogs were retrieved and secured. Officer Johnston will be filing a charge with the state attorney’s office for training deer dogs outside the designated season dates for Osceola WMA.
• Lieutenant Kiss and Senior Officer Yates responded to a call regarding a subject who shot himself in the foot. The officers interviewed the victim who said he was walking to his house after hunting and shot the instep of his right foot with a rifle. The wound was minor and treated by medical staff at the hospital. Lieutenant Kiss, Officer Yates and Investigator Dasher went to the scene of the incident to investigate.

Levy County

• Officers Dykstra and Fox inspected a fishing vessel at the Highway 40 boat ramp in Yankeetown. The inspection revealed the vessel occupants had five undersized mangrove snapper. Officer Dykstra cited the captain of the vessel for the violation.
• During crossbow season, Officer Carroll received a report about a hunter who had shot a deer with a rifle and then left the area. When the officer arrived on scene, she discovered a dead antlered deer. The officer identified a subject and arranged an interview. The subject confessed to killing the antlered deer with a rifle and then leaving it. Officer Carroll charged the subject with taking deer by illegal method, willful and wanton waste of wildlife, and antler point regulations violation. 
• Officer Bell and Derse were on patrol near the #4 pier in Cedar Key when they observed two subjects catch several fish in a cast net and then store the fish in a bucket. The officers conducted a fisheries inspection and found the subjects to be in possession of two undersized redfish. Appropriate citations were issued. 

Madison County

• Officer Vazquez responded to a trespass call. The complainant told the officer he had observed a subject placing corn on their property. The officer located the subject a short time later. After a brief interview, the subject admitted to the violation. Appropriate charges will be filed with the state’s attorney’s office.
• Officer Vazquez responded to three shots fired after the legal shooting time. The officer arrived in the area and observed a vehicle exit a farm field. He followed the vehicle to a nearby residence. As he pulled up to the residence, he observed a dead antlerless deer on the vehicle’s tailgate. The subject was interviewed and admitted to shooting it after legal shooting hours. The subject was charged with taking antlerless deer after legal shooting hours and issued warnings for no hunting license and failure to log a harvested deer prior to moving it.

Suwannee County

• Lieutenant McDonald was at a deer processor when he observed a subject with an antlered deer that did not meeting antler point regulations for the deer management unit it was harvested in. It was also discovered the subject had not logged the harvested deer prior to moving it. The subject was cited accordingly. 

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

Nassau County

• Officers McGregor and Waychoff participated in the Right Whale Festival in Fernandina Beach. Several thousand people attended the festival. The officers educated attendees about the Division of Law Enforcement’s work conserving and protecting Florida fish and wildlife. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the FWC’s efforts to protect the critically endangered right whales during their calving season in Florida’s waters.

Taylor County

• Officers Clark, Rowe, Troiano, Williamson, and Recruiter Mobley attended the annual Taylor County Forest Festival at Forest Capital Museum State Park. Officers brought numerous trucks and boats to display for the approximately 1,200 elementary and middle school kids who attended. Officers Clark, Troiano, and Williamson assisted in showing the kids how to fish with a rod and reel. Officer Rowe and Recruiter Mobley showed the kids different mounted animals and talked about conservation, hunting and fishing.

CASES

Brevard County

• Officer Snyder was on patrol when he observed an individual fishing at Crane Creek. The individual had multiple stringers spread out along the area. Officer Snyder located two undersized redfish and an undersized snook. The individual was cited accordingly. 

Marion County

• Officer Lambert was on night patrol at a local wildlife management area when he noticed a side-by-side driving slowly and shining a spotlight in a manner capable of disclosing the presence of deer. Officer Lambert conducted a traffic stop and during his investigation, he discovered the passenger to have a loaded rifle. Both subjects were cited accordingly.

Orange County

• Officer Specialist Parrish was on airboat patrol in the St. Johns River with Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Rowell when they noticed a vessel with subjects dressed in camouflage quickly leaving as they approached. Officer Parrish signaled for the subjects to stop their vessel and went over to talk to them. The subjects said they were snipe hunting and didn’t have any luck. Officer Parrish noticed signs of nervousness and continued his resource inspection by checking their vessel. While looking inside, Officer Parrish discovered a black-bellied whistling duck concealed in a compartment. After a short interview, one of the subjects admitted to shooting it earlier. The subject was cited accordingly for taking ducks out of season and using lead shot.

Putnam County

• On patrol at the Rodman Dam, Officer Galvan observed a subject fishing from the bank. Upon inspection, the subject was found in possession of six black bass, of which three were 16 inches or more in total length. The subject was cited for having more than one black bass measuring 16 inches or more in total length and issued a written warning for exceeding the daily bag limit of black bass.

Seminole County

• Officer Specialist Fahnestock, Officer Easterbrook and Lieutenant Mendelson were on airboat patrol at a local river during the opening weekend of the general gun season. They observed a vessel on an area of the river that borders a local wildlife management area. Entry to the WMA from the river is prohibited during hunting season. The officers conducted surveillance on the vessel and observed an individual come out of the woods to the vessel. The officers conducted a vessel stop for a resource inspection. They observed and addressed several violations, including illegal entry onto the WMA, removal of plant life, and registration and boating safety equipment violations.

St. Johns County

• While on patrol at Lighthouse Point Boat Ramp, Senior Officer Thomas observed two subjects harvesting oysters in a prohibited area. With oysters attached, harvesters are allowed a tolerance of 15% undersized oysters less than three inches in greatest dimension. Upon measuring their oysters, Officer Thomas found that 94% were less than three inches in greatest dimension. She issued each subject a citation for possession of undersized oysters and a warning for harvest in a prohibited area.

Volusia County

• Senior Officer Bertolami conducted a resource inspection on four subjects who were saltwater fishing from shore. An investigation revealed one of the subjects was in possession of two snook and one redfish that did not meet the size requirements. The subject was charged appropriately.
• Officer Specialist Vanas investigated the take of an antlered deer on private land that did not meet antler point regulations. He located the subject that killed the deer and that person was charged appropriately.
• Officer Quick was patrolling a local wildlife management area at night when he observed a subject driving through during the closed hours. Officer Quick continued to observe the subject, at which time the driver of the vehicle began to shine a bright light in a manner capable of disclosing the presence of deer. Upon stopping the subject, an investigation revealed the subject was in possession of a shotgun and a rifle. The subject was charged appropriately. 

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

Brevard County

• Lieutenant Lightsey partnered with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit for a school outreach event. They shared information about living with alligators and the different responsibilities of the FWC and local Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit. The live alligator and K-9 demonstration were popular with the more than 75 children who attended.

CASES

Charlotte County

• Officers Garcia and Salem and Lieutenant Ruggiero coordinated a detail for a general gun hunt at Babcock/Webb Wildlife Management Area. Officers from across the southwest region participated in this detail, which included in-person training about common violations and specific issues at the WMA. The hunt has 500 quotas and is the WMA's biggest hunt of the year. The extra law enforcement presence helped ensure the safety of those who were participating. In addition, violations such as the illegal taking of antlerless deer and hunting at night with a gun and light were addressed. 

Hillsborough County

• While on land patrol, Officer Sutton and Officer Specialist Rorer observed an individual in a small fishing vessel who did not have visible registration numbers. The officers had the individual pull up to the shoreline where they conducted a boating safety and fisheries inspection. At the conclusion of the inspections, the officers found the individual to be in possession of 39 crappie, 14 over the daily bag limit. The officers also determined the individual did not possess a valid fishing license and did not have a life jacket onboard the vessel. Officer Sutton issued the individual a citation for the fisheries violation and two citations for not obtaining a valid freshwater fishing license and insufficient number of life jackets.  

Lee County

• Officer Russell and Officer Kampmann were on land patrol when they observed three individuals fishing from under a relief bridge. The officers conducted a resource inspection and found the group had caught and kept 13 undersized mangrove snapper. The subject will appear in Lee County Court for the violations. 
• Officer Hardgrove was on water patrol when he observed a commercial seine net vessel cruising and appearing to look for fish. After a while, the vessel deployed four seine nets. Officer Hardgrove initiated a vessel stop to conduct an inspection. During the inspection, the subjects were pulling in the nets and Officer Hardgrove questioned why three of the four nets were coming in as if they were tied together. The subjects denied the nets were tied together. After measuring the nets, Officer Hardgrove discovered stainless steel carabiners clipped to the bottom of the lead line, which would be consistent with the nets pulling in together. All the nets were modified to make them larger than the 500 square foot size limit. Charges will be filed with the state attorney’s office for fishing nets greater than 2,000 square feet. 

Manatee County

• Officer Specialist Gonzales was patrolling the South Skyway area when he observed a group fishing under the relief bridge. A resource inspection revealed the individuals had caught and kept an undersized gag grouper. A notice to appear in Manatee County Court was issued for the violation. 
• Officer Specialist Gonzales was on land patrol around Bishops Harbor. He observed a group throwing a cast net and dumping fish in a bucket. After observing the group, he conducted a resource inspection and found the individuals had caught and kept an undersized snook. Citations were issued appropriately. 

Pasco County

• Senior Officer Brian Ferguson and Officer Liz Brown were on land patrol at the Anclote River Fishing Pier when they observed a subject fishing. The officers identified themselves and asked the subject if he had any luck fishing that night. The subject told the officers he caught some baitfish and then indicated a bait bucket containing a live pinfish. The officers noticed a soft-sided cooler and requested permission to search it. The subject agreed and the officers observed several mangrove snappers and a red drum. Four of the mangrove snapper and the red drum were undersized. The subject admitted to being in possession of and harvesting the undersized fish. The subject was written the appropriate citations.

Pinellas County

• While on land patrol, Lieutenant Bibeau observed a vessel with three individuals onboard returning to a boat ramp. Lieutenant Bibeau contacted the operator of the vessel as they were walking off the dock and asked how their fishing trip was. The operator advised they were not fishing and had only been driving around. Lieutenant Bibeau walked over to the docked vessel and observed numerous fishing rods along with three large coolers covered in scales and blood inside the vessel. Lieutenant Bibeau asked about the coolers and fishing gear and the operator then admitted to fishing. Lieutenant Bibeau boarded the vessel and conducted a fisheries inspection. At the conclusion of the inspection, he found the individuals to be in possession of seven out-of-season red grouper, six undersized red grouper, one out-of-season greater amberjack, one out-of-season gag grouper, two undersized banded rudderfish and one undersized vermilion snapper.  Lieutenant Bibeau issued the operator of the vessel four citations and multiple warnings for the fisheries violations.
• While on land patrol, Lieutenant Bibeau observed a vessel return to a boat ramp with numerous rods and reels. Lieutenant Bibeau contacted the operator of the vessel to conduct a fisheries inspection. The operator said they had fish onboard and permitted Lieutenant Bibeau to board the vessel. At the conclusion of the inspection, he found the individual to be in possession of seven undersized and out-of-season greater amberjack. Officer Bibeau issued the operator of the vessel two citations for the fisheries violations. 

Sarasota County

• Officer Specialist Morrow and Officer Wesche were on water patrol in Sarasota Bay. The officers observed an individual fishing from a pier and docked their vessel to conduct a resource inspection. During the inspection, they found the individual had caught and kept an undersized gag grouper, two undersized flounder, two undersized mangrove snapper, and an undersized lane snapper.  The subject was issued a notice to appear in Sarasota County Court for the violations. 

CASES

Broward County

• Officers Walcott and Giani were on water patrol in the Intracoastal Waterway when they observed a vessel approaching them on plane with flashing blue lights. The officers took action to avoid collision and realizing it was a civilian vessel, they initiated a vessel stop to address the violations. The operator was charged with using flashing lights on a vessel and warned for careless operation. 
• Officer Bovee was conducting fisheries inspections on Dania Beach Pier and found a subject in possession of an undersized spinner shark. Several sharks, including spinner shark, are required to be greater than 54” to the fork to legally harvest. The subject was cited for the violation.
• Officer Giani was conducting shoreline fishing inspections near Hillsboro inlet. He found a subject fishing, who was in possession of six porkfish and one 9” mutton snapper. Porkfish are considered marine life and required to be kept alive. Mutton snapper have a minimum size limit of 18”. The subject was cited for the violations. 
• Officer Bovee was docked at Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park boat ramp when he observed a truck pulling a large personal watercraft trailer with no license plate. Officer Bovee conducted a stop and discovered the trailer to be stolen and the subject to have an arrest warrant. The subject had four personal watercrafts in the water, one of which was displaying registration numbers that were not assigned. The subject was charged with driving while license suspended with knowledge, unauthorized number displayed on vessel, and booked into jail on the warrant.

CASES

Monroe County

• Officers Ross and Allen were on water patrol in the Boca Chica Channel when they observed a vessel at anchor with no all-around white light.  The officers observed two subjects fishing and they initiated a vessel stop to conduct a marine fisheries inspection. The inspection revealed a bucket containing 32 snapper including two undersized lane snapper, one undersized yellowtail snapper, and one undersized mutton snapper. In addition, the subjects were over the aggregate bag limit.  A records check showed one of the individuals had previous FWC marine fishery violations and he was arrested for the resource violations. The other individual was issued a resource citation for same violations. 

FWC Division of Law Enforcement Regions