The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report...
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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report from Feb. 16 - Feb. 22 includes incidents in the Lake Okeechobee area. 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.
• Officer Ciprich and Officer Hammad were working the opening weekend of the spring wild turkey season. They located two subjects within a closed portion of the Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area. The subjects were found to be turkey hunting in the area. Both subjects were issued a notice to appear for hunting within a closed area of a WMA. They were also issued warnings for permit violations.
• FWC Law Enforcement was notified by FWC biologists about the presence of bird seed and corn in Spirit-of-the-Wild Wildlife Management Area. Senior Officer Polly and Officer Bray worked the area on the opening day of the spring wild turkey season and observed three subjects hunting within 50 yards of the bait. All three subjects were issued a notice to appear for placing feed on a WMA and for hunting wild turkey within 100 yards of bait.
• Officer Specialist Crosby was patrolling South Florida Water Management District lands during the opening weekend of spring wild turkey season and encountered two subjects hunting on the right-of-way, which is prohibited. Both subjects were charged for violating rules relating to South Florida Water Management District property.
• Officer Dziewiatkowski was working surveillance along the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park’s south boundary when he observed a pickup with multiple subjects in the bed displaying a light into the state park. During surveillance, the light was observed being displayed from the bed of the pickup into the state park’s interior palmettos and grasslands. Officer Dziewiatkowski stopped the vehicle and through his investigation found the vehicle’s occupants to be road hunting in the state park with the use of air rifles, night vision, and spotlights. The subjects were issued the appropriate resource citations.
Officer Rea was conducting a fisheries inspection on the L8 levee on South Florida Water Management District property when he observed a subject fire multiple shots into the water from what appeared to be a handgun. Officer Rea contacted the subject and his associate and cited the subject for unlawful discharge of a firearm on SFWMD property.
