Conservation Law Enforcement Corner – September 2015

The Hall of Shame column 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. 

Echols County: On Aug. 30, 2013 Sgt. Patrick Dupree, of DNR’s Law Enforcement Division (LED), was conducting night deer hunting surveillance on Ga. Highway 94 near the intersection of a private road. At approximately 11:05 p.m. , a vehicle approached heading westbound on Highway 94. 

“Just as the vehicle passed my location, it slowed and stopped, and two high-powered rifle shots were fired from the vehicle. I proceeded onto the highway just as the vehicle began moving westbound again,” Sgt. Dupree wrote in the official incident report. 

“As I turned on my headlights, the vehicle rapidly sped up. I approached speeds in excess of 100 mph in an effort to get closer to the vehicle before activating my emergency lights. After approximately 2 miles, the vehicle slowed, and I activated my emergency lights and conducted a traffic stop.” 

The driver of the truck was Randy Rewis, of Fargo, who was by himself in the vehicle. The officer asked Rewis to turn his engine off and step out of the truck.

“I patted Rewis down for weapons and asked where the long gun was. Initially he denied having a long gun, but when asked again, he stated that he threw the gun out the truck’s window before he pulled over,” the report stated. “Rewis stated he shot at a doe deer in the highway ditch but did not hit the deer. I advised Rewis he was under arrest for hunting deer at night and placed him in handcuffs. Ranger Daniel North arrived a few minutes later at the traffic-stop scene and secured Rewis, while I called an Echols County Sheriff’s Deputy to the scene. Deputy Register arrived and took custody of Rewis. 

“Rewis’ rifle was located approximately 500 to 600 yards from where the traffic stop was conducted lying in the grass on the shoulder of the highway. The gun received damage from being thrown from the moving vehicle at high speed,” said Sgt. Dupree. 

“Ranger North and I returned to the location where the shots were fired and looked for the deer but were unable to locate it.”

Mr. Rewis was fined $500 for hunting deer at night and $250 for hunting big game from a public road. A charge of hunting from a vehicle was dismissed.

Toombs County: On Saturday Sept. 7, 2013, while on patrol for dove hunters, DNR Law Enforcement Division (LED) officers heard shots coming from an area south of the Cedar Crossing community. 

Two LED officers began to home in on the shots. As they investigated the area the shots were coming from, they saw a blue Chevy truck by a closed gate on a two path road. 

“The individual at the gate was dressed in camouflage clothing and was standing by the gate,” the officer wrote in the LED incident report. “He stated he was watching for dove but wasn’t hunting. 

“As we started to depart the area, a juvenile approached the gate on an ATV and unlocked the gate. The adult asked the juvenile if they were working on deer stands, and he said no, they were hunting dove. We followed the truck and ATV back into the property and found seven adults and two other juveniles hunting dove. The area they were hunting was a cleared area and was baited with wheat. The adults were cited for hunting over bait and warned for possession of illegally taken wildlife for the dove they had killed.”

The seven adults each paid $100 fines. 

Jenkins County: On Oct. 27, 2013, Cpl. Mike Wilcox and Sgt. Don Dasher were on routine patrol in Jenkins County. They were looking for hunting activity in the southwest part of the county. While on patrol, they encountered two people hunting on a private club. The subjects were both nonresidents. 

Cpl. Wilcox issued citations to Kristi Anne Turner, of Fort Pierce, Fla., for nonresident hunting big game without a license and hunting without a license. Fines totaled $555. A nonresident annual combo hunting and fishing license costs $100, and an annual nonresident big game license is $195.

The other hunter was issued a citation and fined $107 for hunting deer without fluorescent orange.