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Office of Law Enforcement
REGION I A CPO and Region Captain assisted local firefighters, as well as Buffalo State Park employees, in extinguishing a large fire that started in the Effigy Tumuli area that burnt 100 plus acres. The fire was quickly brought under control. The source of the fire is undetermined and is under investigation. A District 7 CPO worked a water patrol in Henderson County. The patrol was focusing on small bodies of water in conjunction with operation warm weather/cold water. The officer encountered a father and son in a canoe on a flooded creek. The small child was wearing an adult lifejacket. The father did not have a PFD in the canoe. The father was cited for the PFD violation. Additional warnings were issued for other boating infractions. While on foot patrol at Spoon River State Forest, an abandoned untagged deer stand was observed. It was removed and a yellow seizure tag was left in its place. It will be kept in storage until ownership is determined or it is forwarded to the Pawnee Service Center for final disposition. As part of Operation Warm Weather/Cold Water, a safety exam of a canoe was conducted on Henderson Creek. The canoeist did have the required PFD on board but his borrowed canoe did not have valid registration. A citation was issued for operation of an unnumbered watercraft. A District 6 CPO Investigated a felony criminal damage to state supported property which occurred within Rock Cut State Park in Winnebago County. A vehicle with off-road all terrain mud tires smashed through a section of barrier fencing surrounding a parking lot, as well as creating several deep ruts in the gravel and dirt berm along one of the entrance roads to the park. Due to warming temperatures and local area high school Spring Breaks, enforcement efforts were increased by Winnebago County CPOs to address the spike in park use. Several traffic citations were issued to teen drivers for speeding in the park as well as seat belt and insurance violations addressed. Trail foot patrols were also increased to deter vandalism, alcohol and potential drug use in the park. A District 7 CPO investigated a subject for leaving the roadway at the Woodford Fish and Wildlife Area. The subject intentionally drove his truck through most of the camping area and a grass field, leaving eight inch deep ruts and knocked over two signs. The CPO observed several circular ruts and discovered that one of the posts had knocked the front license plate off the vehicle. The CPO contacted the owner and the subject immediately apologized for causing the damage. A CPO closed out an illegal harvesting of ginseng case. Two individuals had illegally harvested ginseng from private property and also failed to plant the berries of the ginseng plants that they took. They were found guilty of unlawfully harvesting ginseng and were fined $1500 each. $500 from each individual was awarded to the landowner for restitution. A District 1 CPO checked trout fishermen during the opening day of trout season in Stephenson County and JoDaviess County. A TIPs complaint was received that stated a person was hunting during the youth turkey season by himself. On 4/3/11 the youth was located and he was hunting by himself but it was found his Dad was hunting with his twin brother about 200 yards away. A written warning was issued to his father for not being in direct control of his son. CPOs ran details checking trout fishermen at the Coleta Trout Ponds and Pine Creek where DNR stocked trout. One CPO hid in a location observing trout fishermen at the Coleta trout ponds. Another CPO dressed in plain clothes and had a plain vehicle and fished in the ponds. One person left in a hurry and they were not able to catch him that day. A CPO did a follow up interview with this person and determined he took 9 trout, 4 over the limit. Two citations and two written warnings were issued. A CPO worked a plain clothes/vehicle detail at White Pines S/P. Multiple subjects were observed for several hours. Only two subjects caught a limit of 5 trout. Those subjects then left the park. A drive through the park was conducted to make sure they left the park. The subjects did not return. A CPO made an arrest of a male subject in Shabbona Lake State Park for driving while license suspended. The male subject will have a mandatory court date next month in DeKalb County A CPO made an arrest of a male subject for possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia. The arrest occurred at Starved Rock State Park in Illinois Canyon where the CPO was on foot patrol and observed the male subject smoking cannabis and subsequently made the arrest. REGION II A CPO received an anonymous tip via the Springfield Office regarding a roofing company dumping construction waste and covering it up with mulch. CPOs interviewed the business owner, who claimed trespassers were dumping on his property, but he did admit to covering it up with mulch. There were also four 55 gallon drums on the property, one of which was leaking an oily substance. The CPO notified the Lake County Health Department which is authorized by the Illinois EPA to investigate these types of complaints.
A CPO cited a subject on Gages Lake for possession of a 14 inch largemouth bass. The minimum size limit is 15 inches. REGION III REGION IV A CPO led an investigation into what was called critter bashing. Several CPOs in Districts 9 and 10 assisted in interviewing several suspects in two days. Individuals were driving around Schuyler County at night and bashing raccoons and opossums with anything they could find. Charges are pending. District 9 and the Missouri Department of Conservation conducted a river detail on the Mississippi River from the Windfield Dam to the Canton Dam. They were looking for commercial and sport fishermen. Two subjects were arrested for fishing without a license. One subject was arrested on a Missouri Warrant for failure to appear. A CPO attended a hunter safety class in Adams County. 71 students attended. REGION V A CPO participated in a wildlife spotlight survey in Hamilton County with a wildlife biologist. A CPO had charged a subject last deer season with unlawful taking of deer, shooting from the highway and uncased gun. The subject pleaded guilty and paid total fines and costs of $1953 including $250 civil penalty and $350 to the Illinois Conservation Fund. A CPO was patrolling when he stopped a subject at Ft. Massac State Park for riding his motorcycle off the roadway. It was discovered he did not have the proper motorcycle classification on his driver's license. The man was cited for the offense. A CPO conducted numerous boat and recreational fishing checks at Pyramid Park and other public fishing areas in Perry County. A Campbell Hill boater was cited for no wearable PFD's on his watercraft and two written warning for other violations. A CPO received a fishing without permission complaint. Two metro-east fishermen were issued written warnings for fishing on private property without permission. A CPO discovered a turkey baited area in Pulaski County. Office of Law Enforcement REGION I A District 1 CPO conducted ramp checks along the Rock River in Whiteside County as a part of operation Warm Weather/Cold Water with the warm weather the weekend brought. A CPO patrolled Knox County DNR sites. At Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife area several fishermen were checked. A citation for no valid fishing license and several written warnings were issued to some of the people utilizing the site during higher than normal temps. A District 7 CPO responded to a hazardous material Incident involving a Union Pacific Railroad locomotive leaking approximately 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel into an unnamed water tributary near the Peoria/Stark County line. While patrolling the Rock River in Ogle County, a District 1 CPO observed four subjects fishing. A fishing compliance check led to the discovery that two of the subjects did not have a fishing license and the other two possessed 2010 licenses which had expired a few days earlier. Two citations and two written warnings were issued. REGION III REGION IV REGION V A CPO cited a driver for failing to secure his 7 and 5 year old sons in safety seats while riding in a motor vehicle on DNR property. A CPO charged a Union County subject with unlawful hunting of wild turkeys with the aid of bait (corn). During the field interview the subject stated he had attached a broadcaster to his ATV and distributed the grain the week before the season started. A CPO charged a timber company with transporting logs with no proof of ownership/transporting without consent of owner. A CPO attended the Pine Hills Appreciation Day at Trail of Tears State Forest and Shawnee National Forest. A CPO was checking fishermen during the early part of trout season and he discovered two fishermen with four trout but had not bothered to purchase their inland trout stamp. They were issued citations. A CPO arrested a Kentucky hunter in January for unlawful taking of deer and bow hunting without a non-resident permit and license in Massac County. The man pleaded guilty and paid $1074 in fines and costs. Office of Law Enforcement REGION I A CPO issued a citation to a fisherman for snagging. CPOs found four hikers in a restricted area of Starved Rock State Park. One was found to be in possession of a suspected cannabis smoking pipe. He was issued two citations. The other three hikers were juveniles and their parents were notified and were later released into their custody. A CPO issued two citations to a subject after he was stopped at Starved Rock State Park. He was found to have no valid driver’s license and no insurance. This week in an effort to increase inspections of watercraft for Region I’s “Operation Warm Weather/ Cold Water, a Region I, District 6 CPO was checking watercraft along the Rock River. The CPO encountered a 12’ semi-V pleasure boat with two occupants aboard. An inspection of their vessel revealed the operator of the watercraft failed to possess wearable personal flotation devices ( PFDs) for either himself or his passenger. The operator also failed to possess a sounding device. The CPO educated the boater of the dangers of boating on cold water conditions, in a small craft, without wearable PFDs. One citation was issued for failure to possess a wearable PFD (Operator) and a written warning for same offense to the operator for his passenger and a written warning for failure to possess a sounding device. A CPO assisted a Knox County resident with obtaining registration on an old Jon boat. Checks of the faintly visible registration number found a similar boat registered/titled to a person in southern Illinois. Further investigation and assistance from the Watercraft Registration office found that the original registration number issued in 1975 had been cancelled and reissued. By looking in the “dead registration files” it was found that a different number had been issued upon a renewal in 1978. A registration inspection form was completed to aid in the processing since no titles were issued during that time. A CPO has been patrolling up and down the Mississippi River evaluating the flood situation. This year’s flood is projected to be in the top 10 of all times at a crest of approx. 21 ft. Rain and windy conditions may affect that in a negative way this week. The CPO has conferred with fire chiefs from East Moline to Fulton to determine if there are any areas of concern, weak spots in levees, evacuation concerns etc. The biggest threat again appears to be the levee in Henderson County that gave way in 2008. District 7 CPOs continue to monitor the Mississippi River levees in Henderson County. One CPO documented a levee break. He was assigned to monitor the situation. Another CPO inspected, photographed, and took measurements along the levees in Henderson County as flood waters continue to rise on the Mississippi River. That information had been requested by the DNR Water Resources office. The information was forwarded by e-mails which included photographs, Google earth images, lat/longs, and a short power point. Plans have been made to coincide with river levels based on the latest crest predictions. A CPO was conducting boat safety inspections at the Starved Rock Boat Ramp. During the inspection of a watercraft, the CPO noted violations on the watercraft of insufficient wearable PFDs on board, transporting a number of passengers exceeding the watercrafts capacity and uncovered and unsecured batteries on the watercraft. The CPO issued a citation for insufficient number of wearable PFDs on board and two written warnings for exceeding the watercraft’s capacity plate and having uncovered, unsecured batteries on the watercraft. A Region I, District 6 CPO walked into a private fishing club in Boone County. After watching two individuals fishing, he approached to inspect them for fishing licenses. One of the men told the CPO he did not have a fishing license and insisted he was not fishing. The CPO pointed out where he had watched him fish then the club member said he didn’t think he needed a license on a private club pond. After that excuse didn’t free him from the CPO addressing the violation, the man resorted to a sympathy argument telling the CPO he was unemployed and on “hard times.” After patiently listening to the lie and three justifications for fishing without a license, the man was issued his arrest citation. A District 1 CPO attended a court hearing for a non-resident who falsified his hunting license and deer permits. The Iowa man claimed he was an Illinois resident by using his father’s address. He pleaded guilty to the Class A misdemeanor charge of falsification of IDNR documents and the Class B misdemeanor charge of unlawfully taking a deer with the falsified permit. He was fined $720.00 total including a civil penalty of $250.00 for the deer taken. A District 1 CPO heard the broadcast of a reckless driver in the area and began working that way. As the A District 1 CPO investigated turkey hunting without permission complaint in Stephenson County. While on patrol in District 1 a CPO checked a Wisconsin resident fishing an Illinois lake with an Iowa non-resident fishing license. Further investigation revealed the individual’s fishing privileges were suspended in Wisconsin and Illinois due to failure to pay child support and therefore could not purchase an Illinois fishing license. The individual was arrested. A CPO was checking individuals for compliance of the fish code in Starved Rock State Park. The CPO noticed a 12 pack of Bud Light in the trunk of a car next to a bucket of fish. As the CPO was walking the shoreline to see if there were additional fish that the fisherman had, he noticed 5 crushed Bud Light beer cans by a rock next to the river. The CPO picked up a can and brought it to the car. He compared it to the other Bud Light beer cans. The cans matched. The fisherman was issued a citation for pollution of a waterway. Upon issuing the citation, the CPO was notified that the individual was wanted on a warrant for failing to appear in court. The individual had failed to appear in court for three citations that the CPO had issued him in 2004. The charges were possession of alcohol against posted regulations, littering, and fishing without a license. The fisherman was taken to the jail where he was lodged on the $4000 warrant. A District 1 CPO investigated a dead bald eagle found by a turkey hunter in Lowden Miller State Forest. The eagle will be transferred to the USFWS for further investigation. REGION II REGION III REGION IV REGION V Office of Law Enforcement REGION I A CPO completed an inspection of a wildlife rehabilitator. The rehabilitator was in possession of a raccoon that she had not returned to the wild as specified on her permit. The raccoon was seized and relocated to a proper facility. A citation was issued. CPOs continued to monitor levees in Henderson County as Mississippi River levels continued to rise. Levels in Gladstone and Burlington areas crested during the weekend reaching the sixth highest recorded levels. While completing watercraft safety inspections at the Pierce Lake Boat Launch in Rock Cut State Park a District 6 CPO documented several violations. The violations were for expired or no boat trailer registration, insufficient number of wearable life jackets, fire extinguisher not in serviceable condition, no fire extinguisher, no type IV throwable life jacket, and battery terminals not covered. While patrolling within Rock Cut State Park, a District 6 CPO observed a man in a Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck driving on the park main road with children under age 16 riding in the bed of the truck none in seat belts as required while dragging a 15 & 20 year old behind the truck who were riding on skateboards. The driver was also not wearing a seatbelt. The driver argued with the CPO about receiving two citations due to the fact that along with the other moving violations he received in the past 12 months, these citations would suspend his driver’s license. A District 7 CPO inspected twenty-five watercraft before the IHSA bass fishing tournament at Banner Marsh. Several of the watercraft had lanyards missing and the operators were required to comply prior to launching and using the outboard motor. The goal was to ensure the contestants felt safe and could focus on fishing. The contestants showed appreciation for our efforts. While working fishermen in Rock Island County, a CPO located two vehicles parked near Lock and Dam 16. Approaching the second vehicle the occupants began quickly moving around inside the vehicle. The driver was later arrested for possession of methamphetamine. The front seat passenger was arrested for possession of cannabis. During the arrest the driver admitted he was already on probation for a similar offense in Iowa. On Easter Sunday a District 1 CPO was patrolling the Hennepin Canal Parkway. While checking fishermen on the North side of the canal, the officer observed 2 ATVs on the South side near a residential area. The CPO has had numerous complaints of ATVs in that specific area and the residents are concerned someone will be run over by the ATVs. As the CPO tried to locate the 2 ATVs on the South side of the canal, a third ATV was observed on the North side. The CPO made contact with the A District 7 CPO conducted a boat safety check on a small Jon boat at Banner Marsh Fish and Wildlife Area. The watercraft did not have any of the required boat safety equipment on board including a personal floatation device. The watercraft was escorted back to the boat ramp and enforcement action was taken. On April 21 2011 CPOs did a boat patrol on LaSalle Lake. An IHSA fishing tournament was underway. A total of twenty boat inspections were conducted. This time of year IDNR runs a “Warm Weather/Cold Water” campaign to do boat patrols and check boaters. This particular lake has a reputation for becoming very dangerous when the wind picks up. On this day all went well and no problems were observed or reported. A CPO assisted the IHSA Bass Fishing Tournament at Rock Cut State Park by conducting pre-launch safety inspections on the boats. On April 20, 2011, a CPO conducted a directed patrol at Rock Cut State Park to address issues related to possible possession of cannabis and controlled substances. Nationally, there is a trend for some people to ingest illegal drugs annually on a day known as 420 (April 20). These efforts were directed at identifying and arresting those individuals. During the CPO enforcement efforts, he walked trails commonly used for such activity and stopped cars within the state park. No arrests were made and no incidents of such activity were detected. A CPO received information that a Putnam County subject had been operating an unlicensed shooting preserve and possibly an unlicensed outfitting operation. After an investigation it was found that the subject had indeed been operating an unlicensed shooting preserve. He was issued a citation for operating an unlicensed shooting preserve and written warnings for unlawful use of dog training area tags and unlicensed outfitting. A District 6 CPO was conducting traffic enforcement on department lands. The CPO stopped a car for speeding at 11:45 a.m. The driver of the vehicle had been consuming alcohol so the CPO investigated the subject for DUI. The subject was not under the influence, so an arrest was not made for DUI. The subject was arrested for driving with revoked license, illegal transportation of alcohol, speeding and possession of alcohol in a state park. High waters, high winds, and cool temperatures did not keep Illinois and Iowa Bass fishermen off of Pool 13 of the Mississippi River over the May Day weekend. Boaters fought high winds and waves as they pre-fished the flooded shorelines in the back waters of the Mississippi River. A few fine Largemouth Bass were observed being caught. Boating compliance checks on some of the fishermen were conducted with some violations discovered. Violations consisted of personal flotation devices, fire extinguishers, sounding devices, and registration offenses. One bass fisherman who had more than a few of the listed violations, advised he was so worried about having all of his fishing gear, he forgot to check his boat for the required safety gear. Appropriate enforcement action was taken. A CPO checked fishermen and boaters at Lake Storey in Galesburg. Several written warnings were issued for boat equipment and registration violations. One boat did not have registration and the owner was assisted by completing a boat registration inspection. One citation for expired registration on a boat trailer was issued to the owner. A District 7 CPO was conducting Operation Warm Weather/Cold Water watercraft compliance safety checks. The CPO’s intent was to ensure the boaters had the proper safety equipment and to inform them of cold water precautions. The CPO observed a small 2 person watercraft going along the shore line. Two large males were aboard and the watercraft appeared have an inch or less of free board. The CPO conducted the compliance check and informed the operator that the capacity plate rated the watercraft for 550 pounds. The individuals each weighed approximately 300 pounds and with the gear they were approximately 150-200 pounds overweight. The CPO then instructed them that any wave could capsize the watercraft and cause them to fall overboard. The individuals agreed to leave the water and no enforcement action was taken. As part of Operation Warm Weather/Cold Water, a District 1 CPO patrolled the Hennepin Canal and Johnson Sauk Trail State Recreation Area. Several watercrafts were inspected. One of the operators commented how he had been checked by the CPO before and he was issued a citation for a PFD violation. However this time he was very proud to show the CPO he had “every requirement covered”. And while traveling to another fishing area along the Hennepin Canal, the CPO heard the noise of a possible traffic crash. The CPO responded and found a boat trailer on the asphalt behind the truck pulling it. The trailer came off the ball hitch at the railroad tracks and came crashing down. There was minimal damage to the truck or trailer. With the assistance of another citizen, the owner and CPO were able to put the trailer back on the ball hitch. A District 1 CPO investigated the illegal dumping of two dead horses on the Byron Forest Preserve. The owner of the horses was located and issued a citation for the illegal dumping and a citation for the unlawful disposal of livestock animals. While on foot patrol in the Starved Rock State Park Campgrounds, a CPO came upon a large group of campers who were informed that after 10:00 p.m. is quiet hours. After confronting them about the noise, the CPO observed an individual with an open can of Busch Light Beer. The subject who was registered to the camp site was confronted about the alcohol and the group did not have a lot of alcohol at the site. The remaining cans were dumped out and the site holder was cited for unlawful possession of alcohol in a posted restricted area. A CPO was contacted by an individual who claims he found a Sea Doo jet ski on the Illinois River near Starved Rock State Park. CPOs looked at the Jet Ski in the subject’s shed and found out that it was stolen/missing since 2008. They then confiscated the watercraft and started to investigate. After investigating the issue further it was determined that the subject that found it was not involved in it being stolen/missing, that it probably drifted away from the dock of the original owner (Grundy County) during the flood of 2008. It was eventually returned to the rightful owner. A CPO Investigated a hunting accident. The accident occurred while the guide was guiding a client at a licensed Outfitter in Bureau County for turkeys. The guide had gotten the truck stuck that morning, so he and the client were discussing plans for the guide to go back and get a tractor to pull the truck out. A turkey suddenly gobbled, the client slid down a hill about 10 yards. The client called the turkey several times and saw the turkey appear out of range. At this time the guide used a gobble call from a location behind the client about 15 yards. The client thought the guide had went back to the house to get the tractor. The client thought the guide moving in the brush was a turkey because of the gobble call. The client shot and hit the guide with Hevi Shot at 15 yards. Luckily for the guide the client hit a tree with part of the shot and was shooting through heavy brush which blocked a lot of the shot. Guide was transported to the hospital where he was treated for 18 shot pellets to his upper arm and scalp. Guide was treated and released. A District 1 CPO worked on an active snowmobile registration investigation in Mercer County. A snowmobile was sold twice in Illinois and was never registered. The first subject advised he owned the snowmobile for approximately two years. The second subject advised he owned the snowmobile for approximately two months prior to selling it. The CPO issued the first seller a citation for failure to register a snowmobile within 15 days of purchase. The CPO issued the second seller a written warning for the same violation. A CPO was checking sport fishermen on the Hennepin Canal when a subject was observed fishing. As the CPO approached to check for a fishing license the subject approached him a distance away from his fishing location. After checking the subject’s fishing license the CPO went to the area the subject was fishing and a largemouth bass was found that was 12.5 inches under the 14 in limit. The subject was issued a citation for possession of an undersized bass, the fish was photographed and returned to the canal. While a CPO was checking sport fishermen on the Hennepin Canal, a subject was found without a fishing license. A driver’s license check found that the subject was wanted on two warrants from Peoria and Tazewell counties. The subject was transported to the Bureau County Jail. A CPO heard a call from Bureau County Sheriff’s Department that an off duty deputy working security at a Motocross track in Bureau County had been taken down and was being assaulted by multiple subjects. The CPO and the Chief of Wyanet PD responded to the track at the same time. The fight had broken up just prior to the CPO and Wyanet Chief arriving. The CPO and Wyanet Chief arrested two subjects and one other subject was removed from the motocross track. One subject was arrested for two counts of aggravated battery, as the off duty deputy was removing one subject; this subject assaulted him from behind and tried choking him. The same subject later threw blood on an EMT; it was later found the subject had a warrant for his arrest out of DuPage County. The situation was under control and Bureau County Sheriff’s Department was transporting the subjects to the Bureau County Jail, an accident occurred on the Motocross track. The accident victim needed immediate evacuation. The CPO and the Wyanet Chief closed down traffic on the roads so the Medforce helicopter could land and transport the victim. A District 1 CPO conducted boat patrol during the spring “Catfish Academy” Channel Catfish tournament on the lower Rock River at Prophetstown State Park. Twenty-three boats entered and were all in compliance with the Illinois Boat Registration and Safety Act. A District 6 CPO investigated a complaint of individual teens fishing at a private subdivision pond without permission. The investigation revealed there were three 17 year olds fishing; two of which did not have permission. In addition to fishing without permission, the young men were also keeping panfish they caught from the catch and release only pond. Finally, it was discovered that one of the youths sold some of the fish to a friend and posted the unlicensed sale on FaceBook. A District 6 CPO completed a traffic stop while working in Rock Cut State Park to a female driving a newer foreign model four door sedan that was traveling more than 20 mph. over the posted speed limit. When asked what the hurry was by the officer, the driver shrugged her shoulders with a smile and said “I guess I just have a fast sports car.” A District 6 CPO increased late night park patrols in Rock Cut State Park this past weekend due to local area high school’s prom week. A District 6 CPO completed a traffic stop while working in Rock Cut State Park to a female driving traveling 41 mph. in the posted 20 mph. zone. In addition to the speeding violation, the driver and front seat passenger were not wearing their seat belts as required. Finally, the vehicle had an obstructed windshield. A District 7 CPO was conducting operation Warm Weather/Cold Water watercraft compliance safety checks. The officer’s intent was to ensure the boaters had the proper safety equipment and to inform them of cold water precautions. The CPO was on Lake Evergreen and observed a watercraft being operated without navigation lights after sunset. The CPO made contact with the individuals, informed them of the safety hazards, and took appropriate enforcement action. A District 1 CPO was contacted by a citizen who resides on the Rock River and he said there was an injured pelican with fishing line wrapped around its head and it was dragging a PVC bank pole. The CPO responded to the area by boat and observed the injured pelican was indeed in distress. The pelican was bleeding from the side of the head, bill, and neck with the heavy bank line string wrapped around it. However it was able to fly a short distance except the pole drug in the water keeping it from being able to fly very high. The CPO corralled the injured pelican toward the mouth of the Hennepin Canal and the Colona boat ramp. Fishermen in the area assisted by casting their line over the bank pole the pelican was dragging. After several attempts one of the fishermen was able to catch the bank pole. And as the fisherman fought to keep the pelican at bay the CPO used an animal control noose and wrapped it around the bill of the pelican. The hook of the bank pole had pierced the fleshy throat pouch, commonly known as the waddle. The CPO cut the barb off the hook and pulled it out. The male pelican was released and swam away peacefully. The bank pole was found to be in violation since it was not A District 7 CPO responded to numerous complaints of baby ducks, geese, and owls being born and harassed in highly populated areas around Peoria. Many of the callers requested the animals to be relocated. However, for the welfare of the animal it was determined not to move them. No enforcement action was taken. A CPO investigated a reported dead bald eagle in Whiteside County. The eagle appeared to have been feeding on a dead deer carcass on the side of Meredosia Road. The eagle was most likely struck by a vehicle while feeding on the carcass. The dead eagle was handed off to USFWS to be shipped to the national eagle repository. These eagle parts are then used by Native Americans for ceremonial uses. While patrolling White Pines State Park, a District 1 CPO stopped a vehicle and discovered the driver had a warrant for his arrest. The driver was arrested and transported to the Ogle County Jail. While checking fishermen at the Oregon Dam, a District 1 CPO observed two subjects launch a small boat and a kayak. The subjects were instructed by the CPO to return to the bank for a safety inspection. During the inspection it was discovered neither vessel contained a PFD. The subjects were informed about the dangers of the dam and not having PFDs in the boat, issued written warnings and instructed to remove the vessels from the water until they retrieved PFDs. A CPO responded to a motorcycle accident at Ottawa/IL canyons parking lot in Starved Rock State Park. The driver had minor injuries, and refused medical treatment. He was not cited; however a witness that was on another motorcycle was cited for driving on a suspended license. A CPO checked fishermen and boaters at Lake McMaster, Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife area, as part of Region 1 Operation Warm Weather/Cold Water. Of the dozen boats checked, several had minor equipment and registration violations which resulted in twelve written warnings. Two boats had no wearable life jackets on board, both with two persons in a small boat. Both operators were issued citations for the violations. Two other boats were found to have persons under 13 not wearing their life jackets. Both were issued written warnings. REGION II A CPO arrested a subject at Moraine Hills State Park for battery. A CPO cited a fisherman at Turner Lake for failure to immediately release a 23 inch Northern Pike where a 24 inch minimum length is required. REGION III REGION IV REGION V |
