Conservation Law Enforcement Corner January 2021

Dodge County: At approximately 2300 hours (11 p.m.) on Sept. 27, 2019, Cpl. Dan Stiles and Game Warden Austin Biggers were set up on a night hunting detail in a known night hunting area off of Pete Sapp Road in Dodge County.

The officers were positioned on the edge of a wood line adjacent to a large peanut field on Pete Sapp Road with a view of the field in front of them as well as a nearby intersecting road, Parkerson Church Road. At approximately 2315 hours (11:15 p.m.), the officers noticed a vehicle slowly creeping down Parkerson Church Road at an unusual speed. As the vehicle crept down the road, the officers observed a bright light shining out of the rear passenger window toward the peanut field. The vehicle stopped occasionally as the rear passenger shined the light out of the rear passenger side window toward the field.

Based off of the officer’s training, knowledge and experience, the officers suspected that the occupants were actively shining the peanut field in order to night hunt deer. Upon witnessing the suspiciously slow movement of the vehicle along the field and the light shining out of the window, the officers decided to stop the vehicle.

As Cpl. Stiles and Game Warden Biggers approached the intersection of Parkerson Church Road and Pete Sapp Road, the subjects’ vehicle made a right-hand turn onto Pete Sapp Road; the road that the officers were traveling down toward their vehicle. Cpl. Dan Stiles and Game Warden Austin Bjggers stopped the vehicle in a head-on manner with blue lights activated at the intersection of Parkerson Church Road and Pete Sapp Road near Parkerson Church.

The vehicle was a grey mini-van. It was occupied by four persons: two females in the front seats, and two males in the rear seats. Cpl. Stiles told all of the passengers to stick their hands out of the windows and asked how many weapons were in the car. The male passenger on the rear driver’s side told the officers that there were three weapons in the vehicle. Cpl. Stiles had him exit the vehicle and walk back to the officers’ truck.

After the man was directed to the truck, Game Warden Biggers approached the vehicle and observed three long rifles laying in the back seat in between where the two male passengers were sitting, as well as an open Bud Light bottle in between the feet of the second male passenger), who was sitting behind the front passenger side seat. The officers then had the other man exit the vehicle. As he exited the vehicle, Game Warden Biggers asked what they were shining the field with, and he said that they were using his cell phone to shine the field. He then stated that they were looking for a dog. The man was then directed to stand by the truck with the first man. Both males were told to place their hands on the hood of the truck.

Cpl. Stiles conducted a pat down of the outer clothing of the two males to see if they had any weapons on their persons, and none were found. Cpl. Stiles then approached the vehicle to interview the two females in the front seats of the van.

Game Warden Biggers then began interviewing the two males about their suspicious behavior that led to the stop. When asked what they were shining the field for, both said that they we “just looking.” One explained that he had seen a lot of deer in the area before. He then admitted they were in fact shining, but said he wasn’t going to shoot anything. After he was asked to tell the truth about their suspicious behavior, he admitted that they weren’t actually looking for a dog.

Game Warden Biggers then asked both of the males how many alcoholic beverages they had consumed. One said he had consumed three beers, and the other said he had only consumed part of a single beer. When the two males were asked about the loaded rifles in the truck, they replied that they were hunting rabbits earlier and they brought the rifles with them in the truck. After explaining our suspicions to the two males about their activities and questioning their excuse for their activities, the males finally admitted that they were in fact shining for deer with the cell phone light.

Corporal Stiles and Game Warden Biggers thanked them for their honesty and proceeded to collect the weapons and the cell phone to document the relevant information and serial numbers. After the two males admitted that they were in fact shining and hunting deer at night, they were both issued citations for hunting deer at night, hunting from a public road and hunting from a motor vehicle.

Court dispositions weren’t available; names were withheld.