From FWC
This report represents some events the FWC handled Dec. 27 – Jan. 2 in the Northwest Region. (There were no cases reported for Wakulla County.)
BAY COUNTY
• Officers Butts and Jarrell were working night hunting enforcement from a concealed location and observed a vehicle using their headlights to shine a field. The officers conducted a traffic stop and discovered a rifle in the vehicle with two subjects who stated they were just looking for deer but wouldn’t shoot one. Both individuals were issued a citation for attempting to take deer with the use of a gun and light.
• Officers Lafrenz and Alsobrooks saw a vehicle parked on the side of the road by a pond in a wildlife management area where they observed three individuals duck hunting. The officers conducted a resource inspection and found one individual did not have a plug in his shotgun, no federal duck stamp or any other licenses. One individual was over the bag limit of ringnecks. The appropriate enforcement action was taken.
• Officer Rice was on patrol when he observed two subjects on the sidewalk near a car. One had multiple lacerations, contusions and scrapes on her arms and legs. The other subject was a good Samaritan who stopped to help. Officer Rice assessed the victim’s injuries and treated the subject for shock until EMS and Panama City Police Department officers arrived to transport the victim to the hospital. The injured subject advised of a potential kidnapping and provided the name and phone number of the subject she was with. A witness recorded the vehicle and tag number of the vehicle she was in and efforts are being made to locate the vehicle.
OKALOOSA COUNTY
• Officer A. Pritchard encountered a vehicle parked on the side of the road in the still hunt area of Blackwater Wildlife Management Area. Shortly after dark, a subject exited the woods carrying a rifle. The subject stated he was attempting to take deer and was unaware that Blackwater WMA was currently closed to hunting. The individual was issued a notice to appear citation for hunting during closed season.
• Officer Oliver and Hansard conducted a vessel resource inspection on a fishing vessel in Destin Pass that was returning from the Gulf of Mexico. The inspection revealed five undersized flounder and one undersized gray (mangrove) snapper. The subjects were issued citations for possession of the undersized flounder and a warning for possession of undersized gray snapper.
• Officer Oliver was conducting resource inspections on vessels returning from the Gulf of Mexico and discovered an individual in possession of gag grouper. The individual was issued a citation for possession of gag grouper during the closed season.
