IL: Cuffs and Collars Issue: 24

Region I

A CPO received a complaint from the Springfield DNR office
regarding a Boone County citizen who had purchased a live woodchuck
in Iowa and brought it into Illinois without procuring a furbearer
possession permit. Once the complaint was validated, it was learned
that the man had already released the woodchuck on his property.
Enforcement action was taken.

A CPO was in marked uniform patrol in Boone County when he met an
archery deer hunter walking out of the woods onto the roadway
towards his parked vehicle. The CPO completed a license and permit
inspection to the bowhunter and reminded him that it was the youth
firearms deer weekend and he needed to be wearing a hat or cap and
upper garment of solid blaze orange clothing, same as if he were
hunting the muzzleloader firearms weekend or late firearms deer
weekends. Enforcement action was taken.

District 1 CPOs worked a plain clothes detail at Prospect Park for
the opening day of fall trout season. A Rock Island man was
arrested for taking over the limit of trout in which he possessed
10 over the legal limit. Several fishermen were also in violation
of the inland trout stamp requirement.

A CPO cited two subjects for illegal take of short crappies while
checking fishermen at Spring Lake Fish and Wildlife Area.

In the late afternoon, a District 1 CPO was patrolling Centennial
Park in Rock Falls on foot. The officer was looking for illegal
fishing activity ahead of the fall trout program when he discovered
an unconscious subject lying in a pool of blood next to his
bicycle. The subject regained consciousness but was disoriented.
The CPO and a responding Rock Falls officer stabilized the injured
cyclist until EMS arrived. The subject was taken to a nearby
hospital with an apparent head injury.

A District 1 CPO handled a TIPs complaint of raccoon hunting
without permission in Whiteside County where coon hunters were
running their Blue Tick coon hounds on property they did not have
permission to be on. The CPO spoke with both parties, and it was
decided that no complaints were going to be signed.

A CPO assisted corrections officers in a search for an escaped
inmate from the Quad Cities area. The CPO and a correctional
officer searched along the Hennepin Canal and along a stretch of
railroad tracks by the use of an ATV. The escaped inmate was
located a couple of days later.

A CPO assisted the Bureau County Sheriff’s Department with a search
for a bank robbery suspect. The CPO used an ATV to search the
outskirts of the town, including timberlines and cornfields. The
investigation is being continued by the Bureau County Sheriff’s
Department.

While conducting a hunter compliance check on two archery hunters,
a District 1 CPO discovered one of the hunters did not have a
hunting license. The hunter had all other required tags and stamps
but did not make sure the vendor sold him a hunting license as
requested. The hunter was issued a written warning for his
violation.

While checking waterfowl hunters, a CPO saw a boat operating near
Barto Landing at Spring Valley. The boat was overloaded. A safety
inspection was conducted and found to have an invalid registration,
insufficient number of PFDs, and a bad fire extinguisher. The
subject was issued a citation and a written warning.

A CPO worked multiple areas along the Mississippi River checking
fishermen as well as waterfowl hunters. A subject at Sylvan Island
in Moline was asked if he had any keepers. The subject responded
“one.” A check of the subject’s minnow bucket revealed one legal
bass and one short bass. Since the angler demonstrated he knew he
was in violation, he was issued a citation.

Region II

A CPO arrested a subject at Moraine Hills State Park for criminal
trespass to state supported lands after recognizing the individual
as someone he had arrested in 2005 for public indecency. The
subject indicated that he forgot that the officer had gone to his
house and handed him official notice from the state that he was
forbidden entry to all state-supported property and lands. The
subject was transported to the local jail, and his vehicle was
towed.

A CPO received a complaint of waterfowl hunters hunting a day prior
to the open season. He encountered two hunters picking up decoys at
the location. Enforcement action was taken.

A CPO cited a waterfowl hunter for hunting with an unplugged
shotgun on Dunn’s Lake.

Region III

A CPO cited a Decatur man for hunting over bait in Shelbyville
Wildlife Management Area near Bethany. Another CPO had discovered
the area baited after receiving a tip from a concerned
sportsman.

A CPO cited a Sullivan man for hunting over bait in Eagle Creek
State Park. CPOs had discovered the area baited after receiving a
tip from a concerned sportsman.

A CPO received a call from the Illinois State Police advising that
a subject was stuck in a sink hole on a trail at Walnut Point State
Park. Upon arrival, the CPO discovered the subject was not on a
trail and had actually left a foot path and crossed a dry finger of
the lake. Not knowing the lake has springs, he made it about
two-thirds of the way across when he broke through the crust and
sank to his waist in muck. The subject was able to use his
cellphone and guide emergency responders to his location where it
took five firefighters to pull him out. His fishing poles, tackle
box, bucket and catfish were also salvaged and returned.

Region IV

CPOs were patrolling Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site for ATVs
and deer hunters. They located a vehicle parked on the levee along
Interstate 255 on the southeast of the Historic Site. They took up
position on the vehicle and observed a hunter returning to the
vehicle after sunset. They made contact with the subject and found
he and a friend had been hunting illegally on the site. One subject
had also harvested a deer that morning on the site property.

CPOs all responded to calls of illegal deer hunting/trespassing in
St. Clair County near New Athens. Two subjects had been illegally
dropped off on private property. The “pickup” vehicle was
apprehended at the location while attempting to pick up the illegal
hunters. They had been scared by another vehicle and were
attempting to leave the area. The hunters fled from the scene on
foot. After extensive efforts, the subjects were located and
arrested for numerous hunting violations.

CPOs worked a case involving the illegal possession/sale of
venomous snakes in Illinois. With the help of a state biologist,
they were able to obtain search warrants for the subject’s
premises. They also were able to buy a venomous bush viper from the
subject. They executed the search warrant and obtained four more
venomous vipers from his residence. The subject received five
charges for the unlawful possession of life-threatening reptiles in
Illinois.

CPOs investigated a cougar attack on a 14- year-old in Pike County.
The teen had been archery deer hunting and was walking back to his
house when the attack occurred. After a week the 14-year-old
admitted he was not attacked by a cougar. He was getting out of his
treestand, slipped, and fell.

A CPO investigated a personal injury hunting accident in Pike
County. The subject was in a climbing stand and not wearing a
harness. The cable broke and the subject fell. The subject
fractured his back.

A CPO arrested a subject for spotlighting, shooting a deer with a
rifle, and several other violations in Calhoun County. The Pike
County sheriff was investigating the subject when he found blood
and hair in the bed of the subjects truck and called the CPO.

CPOs and the Adams County Sheriff’s Department investigated a
subject trapping out of season and committing acts of cruelty
against animals. The subject posted these acts on You-Tube.

A CPO was checking hunters in Batchtown Fish and Wildlife Area in
Calhoun County. After checking the hunters, he was walking through
the decoys when he observed wheat scattered on top of the ground.
The builder of the blind admitted to placing the wheat out.

Region V

A CPO received a complaint of reckless driving and littering from a
motor vehicle that occurred at Giant City State Park. The CPO was
off duty when he received the phone complaint. The caller had a
good description of the female driver and the male passenger and
the license plate registration. The CPO interviewed the owner of
the vehicle two days later and also found out his girlfriend’s
name. The girlfriend was interviewed and she admitted to throwing a
beer can from the driver’s side window and passing another vehicle
without stopping. She was cited for littering and given a written
warning for failure to stop at a stop sign.

A CPO is investigating three deer that were dumped along a roadway
with only the back straps removed.

A CPO is investigating a dead bald eagle recovered in Union County.
The cause is unknown and is under investigation.