Fish and Wildlife incidents

This report represents some events the FWC handled Nov. 18 – Dec. 1; it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.

Santa Rosa County

• An FWC officer assigned to Santa Rosa County located a fresh pile of household garbage dumped on the Gulf Power easement near Berryhill Road. He located numerous items containing names and an address in the garbage. The officer went to the address and talked to a juvenile male who admitted to dumping the trash. The juvenile’s mother was contacted and was advised of the situation. The officer issued the juvenile a citation for littering over 15 pounds of trash.
• Within the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area, Officer Royce Johnson and Reserve Officer Lila Wise observed a vehicle parked in an area where they had previously located an illegal bait site. As the officers prepared to locate the subject hunting, they heard a shot from the location of the bait. Officer Johnson went to the baited area and observed two men dragging a doe deer out of the woods and to their vehicle. The officer identified himself as they neared the road. One of the men admitted to killing the doe deer over the baited area. The hunter was charged with hunting over bait and taking antlerless deer out of season and issued a notice to appear. The other hunter was issued a notice to appear for possession of an antlerless deer out of season.
• Officer Christopher Pettey and Lt. Dan Hahr were parked near an intersection in Blackwater Wildlife Management Area when a car turned toward them and slowed. The driver appeared to have difficulty driving as he revved the engine and spun his tires in front of the officers. The officers stopped the vehicle and received consent to look in the vehicle. Ten prescription pills were found in a cigarette pack. Both subjects in the car admitted to possessing and taking the pills. The suspected Xanex pills and a 12‑gauge shotgun were seized and the subjects were released. Charges are pending upon positive identification of the pills.

For more on this report see the Dec. 15 issue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.