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December 13, 2024, through December 19, 2024
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
Santa Rosa County
- Officer Brown was on patrol conducting resource and license inspections at local fishing spots when he observed an individual fishing. The subject stated he did not have any fish. Officer Brown located an undersized red drum in the subject’s cooler. The subject was cited accordingly.
Walton County
- Lieutenant Tison responded to a report of a deer being dumped from a public road into a creek. The complainant was able to copy down the tag number of the vehicle. Lieutenant Tison tracked down the vehicle at their address and began an investigation of the dumping incident. The subject admitted to dumping a deer into the creek from the roadway. Further investigation uncovered the deer did not meet antler point regulations for the deer management in which it was taken. Additionally, the subject did not report the harvest. The subject was cited for the violations.
- A boater called for help while in distress on Choctawhatchee Bay. The information he relayed was his vessel was sinking and he was floating with the aid of a 5-gallon bucket. Officer Letcher and Lieutenant Tison along with Officer Matechik, Investigations Lieutenant Bartlett and Investigator Goss responded to the area. Officer Letcher searched the bay and located the bucket floating and the U.S. Coast Guard located the vessel. After hours of searching and due to the extreme cold and windy conditions, the search was suspended and reconvened the following day. Two days later the victim was located deceased and recovered by the FWC Northwest Region Dive Team. The fatal boating accident is under investigation.
COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING
- Officer H. Rockwell taught the laws and regulations portion of a hunter safety course conducted at Smith Range in DeFuniak Springs. There were approximately 35 students in attendance. Officer Rockwell covered a range of topics including legal methods of take and other hunting regulations, firearm safety, chronic wasting disease (CWD) restrictions, duck hunting and migratory bird hunting, dog hunting and more.
 CASES
Nassau County
- While working in Nassau County, Officer Goodfellow received information about two subjects feeding and taking an alligator from a pond, out of season and without a statewide alligator harvest permit or trapping license. After a comprehensive investigation, pulling camera footage, receiving photographic evidence, taking statements and researching permits, Officer Goodfellow obtained warrants from the Nassau County State Attorney. Officers Goodfellow and Culbreth arrived at the subject’s residence to issue citations and the warrants were confirmed. Both subjects were arrested and booked into the Nassau County Detention Facility.
Suwannee County
- Officer Clark responded to shots fired after legal shooting hours and located a subject field dressing a deer in a yard. The subject claimed the deer was harvested before daylight and agreed to take the officer to the harvest site. The officer noticed a working cellular trail camera at the harvest site. The officer gained consent to look at the SD card in the camera. After inspecting the camera SD card, the officer observed the deer was alive and feeding at the feeder almost an hour after legal shooting hours. Moments later the deer had been killed and the subject was standing over it. Officers Clark and Cline once again interviewed the subject, who admitted he thought if he could see the deer, he could harvest it. Appropriate charges were issued for the violation for taking deer at night.
Taylor County
- Officer Williamson was patrolling Steinhatchee Springs Wildlife Management Area and observed a vehicle enter the WMA after hours. The Suwannee River Water Management District property is open to the public during daylight hours only. Officer Williamson conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and found the subject to have been trespassed from all SRWMD property for life. Officer Williamson issued two citations to the subject, one for trespass after notice and one for being on SRWMD lands after hours.
- Officer Williamson was conducting land patrol on Highway 98 and observed vehicles drag racing on a county road. Officer Williamson conducted a vehicle stop on one of the vehicles and found the driver did not have a valid driver’s license (never been issued one). Officer Williamson issued appropriate citations for not having a valid driver’s license and multiple traffic warnings.
COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING
Suwannee County
- Officers Hilliard and Clark participated as hunting guides for the Florida Youth Ranch Hunt along with other law enforcement agencies. The hunt was a success with youth participants learning about conservation and having the opportunity to take part in mentored deer hunts.
 CASES
Lake County
- Officer Specialist McConnell observed a subject operating an all-terrain vehicle in an area prohibited to vehicle traffic at Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park. The officer conducted a traffic stop to address the violation and immediately observed a shotgun on the front of the ATV in a gun rack. The subject was also openly carrying a handgun on their waist band and in possession of a rangefinder, machete, large knife, and spotlight. The shotgun was loaded and the subject stated they were coming from hunting. Officer McConnell issued the subject notice to appear citations for hunting in a state park and operating a vehicle in an undesignated area.
Orange County
- Officers Easterbrook and Walesch responded to an area in Orlando where an individual was said to be in possession of an American alligator. The subject was at a hotel room and multiple individuals advised the officers of the subject inside. After spending time speaking with individuals in the hotel room, they contacted the subject in question, who was discovered to have a warrant out for his arrest. The officers placed the subject in custody and transported the subject to the Orange County Jail. The American alligator was located and additional charges were filed on the subject for possession of American alligator from the wild.
Seminole County
- Lieutenant Mendelson received information from Officer Hopkins about an individual hunting inside the Little Big Econ Wildlife Management Area during a closed season. The information included the subject using an airboat in the WMA and hunting with dogs. FWC intelligence assisted the officers in determining the identity of the subject and his vessel. Lieutenant Mendelson and Officer Fahnestock responded to the subject’s address and conducted an interview. The subject admitted to hunting with his dogs and being inside the WMA during a closed season. Officer Fahnestock filed charges for hunting during closed season in a WMA, attempting to take wildlife by the use of hunting dogs and operation of an airboat in a WMA.
St. Johns County
- While conducting a resource inspection at Matanzas Bridge, Officer Lemaster contacted a subject who was fishing. Upon request the subject opened his cooler and showed Officer Lemaster a lemon shark, which is illegal to possess. The subject was issued a citation for possession of a lemon shark and a warning for no shark permit.
Volusia County
- Officer Specialist Fletcher noticed a pattern of signs of vehicle traffic leading in and out of a local wildlife management area during closed hours. Officer Fletcher surveilled the area for several days until detecting who it was. He identified the subject’s vehicle in the WMA and located the subject. Officer Fletcher was able to determine the subject was hunting and had placed bait in several locations. The subject was issued citations and other appropriate warnings.
 CASES
St. Lucie County
- Captive Wildlife Investigator Booth responded to information a monkey had been observed in a residential neighborhood. After the monkey was captured, it was placed at a licensed facility. The recovered monkey was identified as a Cotton Top Tamarin. Further investigation revealed the owner of the monkey was not licensed to possess it. Officers also located a red-eared slider inside the residence. Red-eared sliders are a conditional species that also require a license and cannot be possessed for personal use. Investigator Booth issued the owner a citation for the illegal possession of the monkey and warnings for the escape of the monkey, not reporting the escape, and the possession of the conditional turtle. He educated the owner about the license application process for the monkey and the monkey was returned after completion of the license. The turtle was turned over to a licensed facility. Investigator Howell and Officer Payne assisted with the placement of the animals.
 CASES
Monroe County
- Investigator Chris Mattson responded to a Wildlife Alert complaint about a YouTube video showing a subject illegally feeding a key deer around Big Pine Key and harassing a pelican in Lower Matecumbe. Investigator Mattson conducted investigative work and obtained the video surveillance footage and interviews, which resulted in obtaining an arrest warrant. After speaking with Investigator Mattson, the subject was going to turn himself into the county jail.
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