You have just shot a nice eight pointer. As you drag him out of the woods and get ready to put him in the truck, a plain dressed (or uniformed) individual approaches you, shows their identification and asks you for your hunting license, your tags (if applicable) and your driver’s license.
The individual hands back your paperwork, comments on what a beautiful deer you shot, and bids you a good day.
Later when your buddies are around admiring your prize, you tell them the story about being stopped. Most people would describe the man as a game warden or conservations officer; others would describe the individual as a low-life, stupid, cop regardless whether they had been ticketed or not. In my past I spent time with the South Carolina Wildlife Department.
I am sure that the state qualifications for South Carolina are similar to those of other states. To perform the occupation effectively an officer must have at thorough knowledge of state and federal boating, hunting and fishing laws. They must attend many weeks of training at the state criminal justice school and pass all required classes, road tests, and physical ability tests.
The officers are expected to learn and be able to enforce all other state laws, as well. They must keep current on all state laws and have them memorialized in their memory. They have to attend a one week continuing education course annually. A law enforcement officer spends most of his working time on patrol. They have very irregular hours and their schedule is rarely the same day after day. They are on call 24/7.
Most of their leisure time must be scheduled in direct conflict with the times that their families may have been free. Their family relations have to be flexible and understanding. If the officer is married, their spouse must be able to accept many situations that can be disruptive to family life. Family outings or get-togethers often have to be canceled due to a last minute work emergency.
It is necessary that the officer’s family understands and supports the idea that the job must come first. Any conflict with this could lead to a poor work performance on the officer’s part as well as controversy at home.
After masking a case, the officer must be attentive to what he needs to do for a successful prosecution of the case in court, if such is necessary. An officer must be physically fit and have stamina and endurance. An officer must be able to ride on rough roads, or walk for long periods of time.
Often they must walk long distances on rough terrain, through marshes, or swamps in heavy boots. Many of an officer’s working hours are spent alone, day and night; they must be able to navigate alone in darkness or in daylight, in all kinds of weather and on all types of terrain. They are often exposed to extreme weather conditions. They must be prepared to tolerate insects and pests. An officer must possess skills in observing and remembering details.
When an officer encounters a problem, he must use logic in seeking a solution. He must be able to communicate with a wide variety of people and tolerate abusive behavior from the public. People that a wildlife officer encounters often are armed and on the defensive. Officers are involved in search and rescue operations and have to know how to administer first aid and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
They are sometimes exposed to morbid sights and unpleasant smells and must be able to tolerate being exposed to decomposing flesh and death. An officer must be able to communicate tactfully with the families of lost or deceased persons and deliver death notices.
In order to perform the public relations function of the position, officers must be able to speak to large groups as well as plan and organize various activities in order to educate the public. Above all, the officer must have compassion for wildlife and be strongly motivated to protect the state’s natural resources.
They must be skilled in map reading, operation of vehicles, and able to defend themselves and other law enforcement officers. An officer must be able to cope with problems as they arise without assistance. The next meeting for the Central Florida Offshore Anglers will be at the Crowne Plaza on the corner of Interstate 4 and State Road 50 (Colonial Drive).
Starting time is 7 p.m., but there will be dinner service in the room prior to the meeting. The speaker this month is our good friend, Tim Fletcher, from Port Canaveral who will get you ready to catch grouper (and other bottom dwellers) when the season opens up on May 1.
Illegal hunting practices leads to hunter's arrest
Florida Wildlife agents Platt and Munkell caught a hunter taking turkeys over bait in the St. John’s River Wildlife Management Area near Bulldozer Canal on opening morning of the spring turkey season.
The officers witnessed him adding birdseed to his hunting location while waiting for the sun to rise. The poacher was charged with attempting to take turkeys over bait and placing bait in a wildlife management area. A local FWC investigator and officer Cody Loeffler responded to a complaint of a neighbor, who had taken her alligator for a walk when it escaped. Surveillance was conducted and contact was made with the poacher.
A pygmy rattlesnake was located inside the apartment and the subject stated that she had released the alligator. After the subject was notified that K-9 Officer Tim Miller was in route to search for the alligator, she retrieved it from a storage bin in her bedroom closet. The poacher was charged with possession of an alligator without a permit, possession of a venomous reptile without a permit, no cage ID, and no lock on the cage.
The subject had previously been cited in 2009 for possession of American alligators and venomous reptiles by Officers Loeffler and Lee. Officer Loeffler located birdseed the opening day of turkey season on private property off of State Road 46 near Hat Bill Road and returned the following morning to conduct surveillance. Officer Loeffler heard a box call being used to call in turkeys. The subject was located and he admitted to hunting turkeys. He was charged with attempting to take turkeys over bait.
Red snapper to be discussed by fishery council
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee to review red snapper fishery management plan amendments under development and provide fishing level recommendations for South Atlantic red snapper. The meeting will be held in North Charleston, S.C. The date will be forth coming.
Under the Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorized Act, the SSC is the body responsible for reviewing the Council's scientific materials. The SSC will discuss several amendments to Fishery Management Plans and develop fishing level recommendations.
The Fishing Report
The sea surface temperature in the inlet has been in the mid-60s. In the surf and on the piers, anglers were catching whiting, black drum, red drum, bluefish and sheepshead.
In the inlet, there are reports of 3- to 31/2-half foot-long red drum being caught on the bottom of the inlet.
Sporadic catches of grouper, trout, red and black drum, and snook were also reported.
In the Halifax River there were catches of whiting, black and red drum, bluefish and mangrove snappers using mullet and shrimp for bait.
In the Tomoka River and basin, the main catches are flounder, black drum, whiting and trout.
In the Mosquito lagoon and Indian River, water levels are up a little. Redfish remain spooky and are not biting.
Capt. Budd's PostScript
It has been written: “Some days the fish just don’t bite.”
So whether you charter, ride a head boat, run your own vessel, stay in the river, surf fish, or fish from shore or a bridge, there are fish to be caught. Fishing is not a matter of life or death , it is so much more important than that.
Tight lines, Capt. Budd