Conservation Law Enforcement Corner November 2020

Atkinson County: On Oct. 28, 2018, Cpl. Tim Hutto and Game Warden Thomas Sibley worked a night deer hunting complaint on Carver Russ Road in Willacoochee. At around 10:20 p.m., they observed a truck approach a field they were watching.

“The driver of the truck shined a bright light into the field in a manner associated with hunting deer at night. A traffic stop was made on the vehicle on Gussie Wall Road in Willacochee,” wrote Cpl. Hutton in the incident report.

The driver, who at the time was 17 years old, admitted to hunting deer at night on Carver Russ Road, according to the officer’s report.

The teen told officers he had been hunting deer at night in the area before, but this was his first time on Carver Russ Road. He was in possession of a loaded Remington 700 rifle, which was in the front seat of his GMC pickup truck.

The 17-year-old was released to his father, who had been called to the scene. Court records show the Willacoochee teen was fined $200 for hunting from a vehicle and $500 for hunting deer at night. A charge for hunting big game from a road was dismissed.

Wheeler County: On Dec. 7, 2019 at approximately 9:50 p.m., Ranger First Class (RFC) Rodney Home was working night hunting off Dry Branch Road in Wheeler County. RFC Home observed a vehicle stop on the roadway in front of a field as a light came from the vehicle. RFC Home followed the vehicle and observed it stop in the roadway at a clearcut, and a light appeared a second time.

RFC Home continued to ease behind the vehicle and witnessed the truck turn off Dry Branch Road onto Bend Road and turned sideways, headlighting a pasture. As the truck was turned sideways in the road, another vehicle came around the curve and stopped to allow them to get back into their lane. The second vehicle then pulled up beside the officer and asked if he had seen them shining.

“I said, ‘Yes, I am headed to stop them now,’” RFC Home said. “I initiated a traffic stop on a red Chevrolet pickup. I took the driver out of the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs for officer’s safety. I smelled an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. As I searched him for weapons, I found a smoking pipe with what looked and smelled like marijuana. I asked where the marijuana was, and the driver said they had smoked a joint. The passenger of the vehicle was a 16-year-old juvenile from Dexter, who had also been smoking marijuana.”

GSP Trooper Smith arrived and screened the driver for DUI and drugs and found him sober enough to drive. I searched the trucks and located two hand-held flashlights, a loaded Remington .270 rifle, a marijuana grinder, a container of marijuana and blunt wrappers. The juvenile’s mother  was notified of the four charges the 16-year-old would be receiving.

The driver and the juvenile were charged with VGCSA marijuana less than an ounce, hunting deer at night, hunting from a vehicle and hunting from a public road.

DNR Graduates

After 12 weeks of training, three game wardens recently graduated from K-9 training during a ceremony held at the Governor’s Mansion.

The three new K-9 teams are Cpl. Greg Wade and Cuff, Cpl. Eric Isom and Bo, and Game Warden Nolan Callaway and Judge.

Training included wildlife detection, tracking, article or evidence recovery, agility, obedience, building searches, vehicle deployment, woods seek and all phases of officer protection. Quarterly training is conducted for all canines and handlers. The program has been very successful in apprehending violators and detecting evidence.

The newest DNR graduates.

In addition, nine new DNR Game Wardens graduated from cadet school in July. Gov. Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp helped honor and welcome our newest wardens.

• Taylor Bingham, Burke County

• K.P. Boatright, Seminole County

• Hunter Bowman, Troup County

• Ryan Buice, Marion County

• Taylor Gilmore, DeKalb/Rockdale

• Westin Rabon, Charlton County

• Bo Townsend, Webster County

• David Wright, Bartow County