FWC Law Enforcement Report: Hunting Violations

December 26, 2023

The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following recent activity:

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Officer Land was patrolling Yellow River Wildlife Management Area and conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that was operating without a tag displayed. Officer Land detected the strong smell of cannabis from the vehicle. He received consent from the operator to look in the vehicle and located drug paraphernalia. The owner was cited for the violations.

Officer Land was patrolling Blackwater Wildlife Management Area and located an individual hunting with a centerfire rifle before the general gun season opened. The subject was not wearing fluorescent orange and did not possess a quota permit for Blackwater WMA. The subject was cited for the violation.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Burkhead was patrolling Blackwater Wildlife Management Area when he heard shotguns being fired prior to legal shooting hours in an area that is commonly used for waterfowl hunting. Officer Burkhead located the individuals who were shooting and verified they were waterfowl hunting. One of the individuals hid a shotgun and later admitted he was hunting waterfowl that morning without his federal duck stamp or other permits required to hunt waterfowl. Officer Burkhead charged the individuals for hunting waterfowl prior to legal shooting hours. Officer Burkhead charged the other individual for hunting waterfowl without a federal duck stamp and wrote citations for the permit violations.

Officer Burkhead was conducting resource inspections on duck hunters at Smith’s Fish Camp. Upon checking a group of individuals, he found one of the subjects to be hunting waterfowl with a shotgun capable of holding more than three rounds. Officer Burkhead cited the individual for hunting waterfowl with an unplugged shotgun.

Officers Burkhead, Lugg, Wilkenson, and Lieutenant Corbin were conducting resource inspections in Blackwater Wildlife Management Area. They conducted an inspection on an individual driving on a Florida Forest Service maintained road and found the individual to be in possession of deer meat with high-risk parts such as bone from a deer harvested outside of Florida. The individual was also not in possession of any sex identification along with the meat he was transporting. Officer Burkhead issued a notice to appear citation for possessing or importing deer, elk, moose or caribou carcasses or high-risk parts from anywhere outside of Florida. He wrote a written warning for not being in possession of sex identification for the deer he was transporting.

This report represents some events the FWC handled during the time period; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.

NorthEscambia.com photo.

Comments

8 Responses to “FWC Law Enforcement Report: Hunting Violations”

  1. elmer on December 31st, 2023 11:03 am

    just remember you never have to talk to law enforcement It’s one of your rights

  2. BGH2 on December 27th, 2023 5:46 am

    @frank and Yellarhammer…I know you both stated 2 only per season..I was mainly solidifying what you both stated in case someone else read your comments differently…was in agreement with you. Point I was trying to make was for those not sure then check your areas before you venture to the woods. Reading this new rule one COULD THINK they were perfectly legal anywhere in D2 to harvest does. Of course I have one tag left to punch(antlerless) and mine have either moved away or went on vacation. Again, just adding another view point to a confusing yet much needed rule.

  3. BGH2 on December 27th, 2023 5:41 am

    @Frank and Yellarhammer…although you are allowed to harvest does between the dates mentioned it’s good to know that you are ONLY ALLOWED two does per season under the State of Florida bag limits. That new law/rule is very vague and can be misinterpreted by some. Although we do need “doe control” in many areas I’m not sure this new rule applies to most State lands(I may be wrong…see what I mean by misinterpreted) I would dive deeper into it. Remember, we are only allowed 5 deer per season with 2 being antlerless. I hunt a club with antlerless tag program and we are still allowed only two. Not disputing what you’ve both written just giving my two cents on what I’ve learned by talking with a former GW. Good luck to y’all this season.

  4. Yellarhammer on December 26th, 2023 10:47 pm

    # Frank by executive order FWC will allow does can be harvested from 12/19/23 till 2/18/24 in D2 areas only two does are the limit.

  5. Ben Pearson on December 26th, 2023 9:54 pm

    @Funny
    There were bag limits then too. Now there are more hunters and less ducks. It’s called conservation. No bag limits, no enforcement, no ducks left to hunt.

  6. Funny on December 26th, 2023 1:36 pm

    Care more animals than people. Hunting ducks now cost over 100 dollars for all the licenses and stamps. I how is this legal to force someone to buy a federal duck stamp and local stamp the entire industry is to eventually have no one able to afford to hunt and these game wardens are the worst they are happy to site someone get their points for the season. Used to be you could hunt and feed your family when things were bad you can’t even do that anymore.

  7. Not You on December 26th, 2023 10:57 am

    @ Frank

    https://myfwc.com/hunting/deer/faqs/

  8. Frank on December 26th, 2023 8:10 am

    I have heard many saying that Florida is allowing a doe a day, “Limit, two.” On the season. A friend Even was told by a game warden, that was true, but I have not confirmed that in the State web sight. Does anyone know where that can be found to confirm?

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News