Fish and Wildlife: Closed-area, dog hunting reported

MILTON — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission filed these cases between Feb. 10 and 16 in Santa Rosa County:

HUNTING IN CLOSED AREA

Officer Ramos was on patrol in the Robert’s Pond Unit of Eglin Wildlife Management Area, where he found a vehicle parked in a suspicious location.

He followed fresh footprints and other signs toward a stalk hunting area and, after reaching the legal boundary of the area, followed the tracks more than a half-mile into a permanently closed area of Eglin. Additional signs of hunting activity were present and Ramos determined the subject was hunting well inside the closed area.

Officer Jones arrived to assist, and the two officers positioned themselves on a trail waiting for the hunter to return from the closed area. Nearly an hour after sunset, Jones intercepted the subject trying to sneak back onto the main trail in an area open for hunting.

When Officer Ramos questioned the subject, he said that he was just barely inside the closed area. After presenting additional evidence, he admitted that he had been deep inside the closed area and that he “should have known better.”

Eglin Range Patrol arrived and issued the man a notice of violation, suspending his ability to enter Eglin WMA for one year.

Officer Ramos charged the man with a criminal citation for hunting in a closed area and warned him for other violations.

ILLEGAL DOG HUNTING

Officers Roberson and Mullins were on patrol when they were dispatched to the Escambia River WMA. They received a complaint about subjects hunting with dogs in the still-hunt area and using an ATV.

After arriving on scene moments later, two subjects walked out of the woods with two hunting dogs on leashes and carrying fixed-blade knives on their waistband.

After interviewing the first two subjects, two more exited the woods with an ATV and more hunting dogs and two more knives.

After gathering all information, they were found to be hunting hogs.

Officer Roberson issued misdemeanor citations to three of the subjects for dog hunting in a still-hunt area.

Officer Mullins issued one of the subjects an infraction for the use of an ATV on the Escambia River WMA.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Fish and Wildlife: Closed-area, dog hunting reported