Latest Headlines
- Former Ernest Ward Middle School Bookkeeper Charged With Embezzling Over $50,000
- SEC Soccer Tournament Draws Thousands To Escambia County, National TV Coverage
- Steven Barry Keeps Escambia County Commission District 5 Seat For Fourth Term
- Amendments: Marijuana and Abortion Rights Fail. Here’s What Passed
- Voters Renew Half-cent Sales Tax For Escambia Schools
- Complete Escambia County Election Results
- Steve Stroberger, Who Ousted Jeff Bergosh, Wins District 1 Commission Seat Over Write-In Candidates
- Ashlee Hofberger Wins District 4 Escambia Commission Seat
- Century Voters Approve Two Charter Amendments, Reject Third
- Don Gaetz Elected To Florida Senate District 1
FWC Law Enforcement Report: Derelict Vessels, Deer Violations
March 18, 2022
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following recent activity:
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Senior Officer Specialist Pettey completed two derelict vessel investigations. Both vessels are owned by the same individual. The owner failed to bring the vessels in compliance after being cited twice for leaving the vessels in an at-risk status. Officer Pettey determined the vessels were now derelict per Florida Statue and issued the owner Notice to Appear citations for both vessels. If the vessels are not brought into compliance within 21 days, they will be removed from the waters of the state. The owner will be responsible for the cost of the removal.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Roberson was on patrol at Quintette Boat Ramp when he observed a vessel pulling up to the ramp on Escambia River. Officer Roberson contacted three individuals who had a legal buck on their boat. Officer Roberson asked them if they had killed anymore deer this year, and one of the subjects stated they killed a four-point buck off the river. Officer Roberson asked if they had any pictures of it and the subject showed him the four-point. Officer Roberson noticed that the antlers did not have three points on one side and neither of the main beams seemed to be at least 10 inches in length which is the legal requirements for any antlered deer taken north of Interstate 10. Officer Roberson met the subject at their house where the antlers were located, and he measured them and found they were under 10 inches. Officer Roberson issued the subject a Notice to Appear.
Officer Roberson received information that two individuals had killed two deer off Escambia River Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Upon further investigation neither of the deer had been logged or reported within the 24-hour time frame from when they had killed the deer. K-9 Officer Hutchinson and Officer Roberson went to the first individual’s location, and they admitted to not logging their deer and they were issued citations. Both officers then went to the second individual’s location, and they admitted to not logging their deer. They had killed three other deer this season and one of them was not logged or reported. K-9 Officer Hutchinson and Officer Roberson also found that the meat from the two deer from Escambia River were at this location as well in a cooler. The deer had been in two coolers going on eight days, one of the coolers with the deer meat was spoiled and had no ice in it. The other cooler had ice, but the meat was spoiling as well. Upon further investigation, this subject had their relatives’ antlers and they had not logged or reported that deer as well. Officer Roberson cited the subject for not logging or reporting the deer, no hunting license, and issued a Notice to Appear for the willful and wanton waste of the deer meat.
Comments
4 Responses to “FWC Law Enforcement Report: Derelict Vessels, Deer Violations”
It’s sad that people kill deer and then just let it go to waste!!!! Why did you kill the animal then???? Should have put his A$$ in jail rather than a notice to appear!! There is no sense in people destroying wildlife for no reason!!!
The rules are there so that the resource will be here for our kids and Grandbabies to enjoy. In my opinion the fines and punishment are not stringent enough. They knew right from wrong. Please ensure to give them the the maximum penalties of the law. Thank you FWC for your diligence in trying to protect our resource.
I agree with Pretty sad, they were honest and should be given a warning by the judge. The others, they deserve what they get, especially the idiots that wasted two deer!!!
I think the guys who were honest enough to show the officer a picture should be given a break. They didn’t have to show him a picture but they did it anyway. Seems like they were trying to be legit. Now the guys wasting deer meat? What a crock. If you have no plans to eat it, no need to kill it. Derelict boats have been around as long as I can remember and nothing usually gets done unless someone “in power” or of importance gripes about it. Pretty selective about busting folks any more.