Conservation Law Enforcement Corner – August 2021

The Conservation LE Corner is designed to highlight the efforts of Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division (LED) officers who, among their many duties, protect Georgia’s wildlife, sportsmen and natural resources from game-law violators. The following account is from the official incident report, which is public record.

Laurens County: According to DNR Law Enforcement, on Dec. 14, 2019, at approximately 8 p.m., Cpl. Dan Stiles was traveling on Five Point Road and observed a small buck and a doe on the edge of a ditch next to a large harvested peanut field between Bennett Colter Road and Parkerson Road.

Cpl. Stiles turned onto Parkerson Road and positioned his vehicle and began observing a tract of clearcut timberland for night hunting violations on Parkerson Road. At approximately 2025 (8:25 p.m.), Cpl. Stiles heard a vehicle traveling near his location either on Five Point Road or Bennet Colter Road adjacent to the peanut field. Cpl. Stiles heard the vehicle decelerate rapidly and then heard a rifle shot near the intersection of Bennet Cotter Road and Five Point Road. Cpl. Stiles proceeded to Five Point Road but did not observe any vehicles. Cpl. Stiles then turned onto Bennett Colter Road to see if there were any vehicles in the vicinity. Cpl. Stiles then returned to the intersection of Parkerson Road and Five Point Road to see if anyone returned to the location to retrieve any shot game. At approximately 2040 hours, Cpl. Stiles observed headlights from a vehicle stopped on Bennett Colter Road near the intersection of Five Point Road and then observed a beam of light shining across an open field adjacent to the stopped vehicle. Cpl. Stiles proceeded to the location of the stopped vehicle and conducted a head-on traffic stop on a dark-colored Chevrolet pickup truck. One subject was in the vehicle in the driver’s position, identified as John Crowe. Cpl. Stiles ordered Mr. Crowe out of the vehicle and asked him if he was alone. Mr. Crowe failed to respond, and Cpl. Stiles asked him a second time and he responded that his “buddy” was out in the field urinating. At that point a second subject, identified as Jamie Amerson, walked out of the field to the location of the vehicles. Cpl. Stiles asked the subjects what they were doing. Mr. Crowe stated that they had not been at the location previously and had just stopped at the location for Mr. Amerson to urinate, while indicating that they had traveled on Bennett Colter Road coming from the east.

Cpl. Stiles then separated the two subjects and located two loaded bolt-action rifles, a loaded handgun, and a red LED flashlight in plain view in the vehicle. Cpl. Stiles unloaded and secured the firearms in his vehicle. Cpl. Stiles asked Mr. Amerson what he had been doing prior to coming to the current location. Mr. Amerson admitted that he had shot at a deer in the field with the .22 magnum rifle and returned to locate the deer. Cpl. Stiles asked Mr. Amerson if he had hit the deer when he shot at it and he stated, “I missed the deer.” Cpl. Stiles asked Mr. Amerson where he was aiming when he shot the deer and he said “the head.”

Mr. Crowe continued to claim that he was not night hunting. Georgia State Patrol officer Glen Altman arrived to assist.

Loaded guns and a flashlight that were in plain view in a vehicle stopped in a Laurens County night-hunting incident.

Cpl. Stiles issued citations to both subjects for hunting deer at night, hunting from a vehicle, and hunting from a public road. Cpl. Stiles also issued Mr. Amerson a written warning for discharging a firearm from a public road.

Cpl. Stiles photographed the firearms and the light, at which time Cpl. Stiles returned the Remington bolt-action .270 caliber rifle and the Taurus 9mm handgun to Mr. Amerson. Cpl. seized the Marlin bolt-action .22 magnum rifle, ammunition and stinger flashlight for evidence and released the two subjects at the scene. Cpl. Stiles shined his headlights from his vehicle and his flashlight into the field location where Mr. Amerson had been and did not see any deer. Cpl. Stiles returned the following morning and rechecked the location. No deer were located and no drag marks or other evidence of a wounded deer were located.

On Feb. 21, 2020, Jamie Amerson, of Rentz, has his charges disposed of in Laurens County Probate Court, where he paid a $282 fine for hunting game at night, $86 for hunting from a vehicle, and $86 for hunting from/shooting across a public road.

John Crowe, of Rentz, had his case moved to Laurens County Superior Court. According to the Clerk’s office, as of July 22, 2021, those charges are still pending, and Mr. Crowe is presumed innocent.