Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Office of Law Enforcement
Activities During November 2000

On November 18, a CPO received information from a complainant who found a 9-point buck that had been shot, field dressed and left to lay up against a fence row in northwest Ogle County. The Officer found a place to conceal his squad and waited. About 1 ½ to 2 hours after sunset, a truck drove to where the deer was located. At this time the Officer confronted the two male subjects, separated them and began to interview them. It was discovered that the son, who was visiting from Alaska, had shot the buck earlier in the day but did not want to use his tag on it. They were planning on putting dad's tag on it and then going to check it in. The deer was seized and donated to Sportsmen Against Hunger. Appropriate citations were issued.

On November 4, a CPO arrested a subject for shooting a 12-point buck in Lee County and claiming it to be a bow kill. The hide was buried and the Officer dug it up and sent it to the crime lab. After an interview the subject confessed.

On November 8, CPOs, along with DeKalb Police Officers, served a searched warrant in DeKalb on a drug house. Three dangerous snakes were seized: one albino python, one diamondback rattlesnake, and one copperhead. All three snakes were removed from the house by members of World Wildlife Kingdom. The Officers also recovered a crack pipe. Charges are pending. The snakes' owner has pled guilty and paid $500 and lost his snakes.

On November 11, CPOs went to a residence in Sycamore and interviewed a woman about a very large 8-point buck she had entered into a contest at a local bar. The eight point buck should score around 170. The lady was very upset that the Officers would think she couldn't shoot a deer with a bow. However, she said she had been bow hunting for ten years but had no knowledge about bow hunting when asked. She admitted she shot it with a bow, walked to the house, got a shotgun and finished it off. After the Officers left the house, they spoke to the husband and he admitted to shooting it with a shotgun for her. The deer was seized.

On November 17, a methamphetamine lab was discovered at Franklin Grove at Franklin Creek State Park. Items were processed for prints and the case was turned over to Blackhawk Task Force.

On November 18, a CPO approached two hunters in an open field in Boone County. Upon crossing the property fence, he noticed that the first hunter began walking away towards the farmhouse. The Officer then noticed a gray minivan pull out into the field at a rapid rate towards the hunter who was waving. He then observed the van travel past the hunter in the field along the edge of timber. The driver, who was wearing blaze orange clothing, stopped his van abruptly at the southwest corner of the timber. The driver stepped out of his van with a loaded and uncased shotgun and proceeded to shoot at the deer as they ran out of the timber into the open field. After the incident, the Officer checked all three hunters and documented charges for transporting an uncased gun in a vehicle, pursuing and attempting to take deer with a vehicle, and possession of a firearm and ammunition with an expired FOID card.

An accident at Mississippi Palisades State Park in which the victim fell while rappeling was investigated. It is believed that the knot at his anchor point slipped and he fell 40 feet to his death.

While working wildlife enforcement in Fulton County, an Officer observed a light being shined from a pickup truck approximately one mile west of his position. The Officer then approached, within fifty yards of the truck, with his lights out. After stopping the truck, the Officer found two shotguns fully loaded with deer slugs and a spotlight in the front seat. The safety on one of the shotguns was in the "off" position. Two of the four 18-year-olds were issued citations for hunting with a light and transporting uncased firearms.

A CPO arrested two young subjects with a loaded uncased pistol grip "game getter" shotgun in their vehicle while driving on a remote country road at night. The driver had just been placed on court supervision on several charges stemming from an incident last fall where he had fired shots into a local high school teacher's house. A felony charge that was dropped in negotiations will now be re-installed.

A CPO arrested a well-known archery hunter and guide for guiding bow hunters onto property without permission. This guide is well known to Department Officers for producing and selling fraudulent videos of his bow hunting techniques.

A CPO seized a trap and placed a seizure tag for trapping on a public right of way. A few days later the Officer walked past the suspect's truck at his residence and saw his seizure tag among other debris on the dash. The illegal trapper's argument that someone else had stolen his trap and set it illegally, didn't last long.

Responding to a complaint of hunting without permission, a CPO and a PCPO began an investigation which led to two arrests. Information on the case was also obtained from another CPO. The two subjects were charged with shining, shooting from a roadway, after hours (coyotes prior to red fox season), and unlawful use of slugs. One of the men had also poached a deer later that night, and confessed to shining it and shooting with slugs from the roadway, and unlawful taking/possession of whitetail deer.

REGION II

At Iroquois Wildlife Area, a CPO and a PCPO charged a subject for archery deer hunting in a closed area and possession of another hunter's deer permit. The CPO made three arrests for uncased guns in vehicles during shotgun deer season at the site. He also investigated another incident which occurred on Thanksgiving night during which a vehicle had rammed the gate post, entered a closed area and driven the fire lane along the nature preserve. It was apparent that the vehicle had struck a tree at high speed. Evidence collected at the scene included the windshield and other vehicle parts. The CPO located a pick up truck loaded on a flatbed trailer behind a farm house near Papnau. After further investigation, the operator of the pickup was cited for driving on a nature preserve and driving with a revoked driver's license.

During a waterfowl compliance check, a PCPO checked a subject who produced a photocopy of a goose permit card "cut to size" with the subject's name on it, but his partner's waterfowl stamp number. The subject stated he lost his stamp and card and didn't have time to replace it before going hunting. After a field interview, the subject finally admitted to never buying a stamp and receiving a goose permit. The subject was cited for hunting without a state waterfowl stamp.

On another check of four waterfowl hunters hunting from a blind, a PCPO noticed a subject was quite nervous throughout the compliance check. The subject then turned away from the Officer and began placing objects into his jacket pocket. When asked to empty his pockets, the subject surrendered a handful of steel shot shells containing #3 lead shot. The subject claimed he had no idea where the shells came from. Appropriate tickets were issued.

On November 25, a PCPO responded to a complaint regarding hunter interference from a local hunt club. The hunters claimed deliberate and continued disturbance of approaching geese by adjacent target shooters. Five subjects were charged based on the complaint.

A CPO and a PCPO arrested an archery hunter for hunting deer over bait. Another CPO arrested two hunters for hunting over bait. One was an archery hunter hunting over corn, carrots, and a mineral block. He also arrested a shotgun hunter who was hunting over apples and was also attempting to fill a friend's permit. Another Officer arrested a firearm deer hunter for hunting over bait.

CPOs arrested two Chicago men who were road hunting deer within one mile of the CPO's residence. The suspects had been observed poaching three weeks before while the CPO had been doing yard work. However pursuit was futile at that time and the suspects escaped. A plain vehicle was utilized to detect and apprehend the poachers. Both men now admitted to poaching on two previous occasions near the residence, yet still didn't realize the CPO had been there.

An Officer utilized the regional covert waterfowl boat so that he could pose as a goose hunter. He observed three Morris men hide their vehicle and utilize a small boat to enter the restricted area off of the Illinois River. Appropriate charges were filed.

On November 20, a CPO heard squealing tires outside his residence for several seconds. He went outside and observed a car and truck side by side apparently set to drag race. Soon after, both vehicles "hit the gas' and took off from a dead stop and raced for approximately 1/10 of a mile. The Officer went back to his patrol vehicle and radioed the incident to the Kendall County Sheriff's Office and then followed the vehicles. The truck sped off, however the car had overheated and was stalled. Yorkville PD apprehended the truck in town. Both drivers were arrested for drag racing. The driver of the truck had been arrested three weeks earlier for reckless driving when he ran an off-duty Grundy County Officer off the road.

On November 18, at the McHenry County deer check station at Moraine Hills State Park, CPOs arrested a 19-year-old male subject who had arrived to check in a deer. In the car were several cans of beer and the subject had an odor of alcohol on his breath. When asked if he had cannabis in the vehicle, the subject replied he did not, but subsequently gave over two pipes and a bag of cannabis. The subject was charged with zero tolerance, possession of cannabis, and drug paraphernalia.

A hunter arrested for multiple violations in a Will County Forest Preserve, was fined $500 and had all of his equipment forfeited to the IDNR.

A CPO spoke to 75 first graders at a Joliet grade school about CPO job duties and wildlife issues.

A CPO filmed a conservation segment for a television program to be aired on the "Outdoor Channel." The segment is expected to be a normal part of the show.

REGION III

An Officer conducted an investigation of a possibly poached deer from a restricted area of Kickapoo State Park by an archery hunter. His lengthy investigation finally revealed that a past convicted deer poacher had illegally killed the deer in the park and also exceeded his limit of antlered deer. Several citations were issued to the Danville man and the deer and equipment were confiscated. This same man was arrested later in the month during gun deer season by

another Officer for killing another deer by gun and failing to report the kill.

A District Sergeant and a CPO arrested two Chicago men on November 11 for killing over the limit of rabbits in Ford County. They had killed 17 rabbits between them in one day. The over limit of rabbits were found hidden in their dog kennel trailer.

A CPO found a convicted felon and his girl friend in possession of two loaded firearms in their vehicle including a handgun, late at night in rural Coles County. They were not hunters and the Coles County woman claimed ownership of the firearms. She was arrested for felony unlawful use of weapons.

While working waterfowl hunters at a Lake Shelbyville impoundment on November 7, a CPO and a PCPO watched a Macon man shoot over his limit of pintails.

While working upland game hunters in Iroquois County on November 19, a CPO and a PCPO encountered five Onarga men with numerous license and FOID card violations. In addition, the subjects were found to be in possession of deer slugs but no deer permits and one subject had killed a hen pheasant.

An Officer investigated a gun deer season accident in which a 13-year-old Shelbyville youth was shot by a 25-year-old male companion while driving deer in Shelby County. The slug entered the male youth's upper leg and exited his abdomen. Fortunately the wound was not life-threatening.

A subject was located at a Vermilion County park who had threatened suicide and left a note that he had a gun in his vehicle.

After receiving a complaint that a well known, less than ethical, Cumberland County deer hunter was harassing another bow hunter, CPOs sat hidden in the woods for three days waiting on the subject. The subject would drive up and down the road honking his vehicle horn and shouting. He would also walk up to the lawful bow hunter and yell at him, urinate on the ground under his stand, and finally tied a big piece of plastic on a fence close to the hunter to flap and wave in the wind. He did this because the lawful hunter was "too close" to the subject's hunting area. The Officer arrested the subject for hunter harassment, criminal trespass, and littering. The District Sergeant and CPOs encountered this same person and members of his family violating several deer licensing provisions during gun deer season.

On November 29, a CPO found three duck hunters on Clinton Lake in violation of several sections of the game code. They had killed over the lawful limit of hen mallards, had unplugged guns, lead shot, and an insufficient number of PFDs in their boat.

After receiving a complaint of spotlighting in Livingston County, an Officer apprehended three Pontiac men spotlighting furbearers on November 12.

A CPO responded to a call from the Coles County Sheriff's Office of a man from Florida attempting to check in an archery killed deer. The items he brought to the check station were the skull and antlers only. The skull had been skinned and boiled. The Officer's investigation revealed that the man had failed to secure the antler harvest tag and failed to check the deer in within 48 hours. The deer was killed a week previously and he did not use his tag in hopes of killing a bigger deer. When he decided to return to Florida, he thought he should run it through the check station before traveling across state lines. He provided false information to the check station and initially lied to the Officer about dates and location of the kill. The Officer obtained the deer meat from a local motel room and also found cannabis. Numerous charges were filed and the hunting equipment was seized.

CPOs investigated a case in which building materials were dumped into a Coles County creek. Due to false information provided by persons involved with the case, it developed into a felony "obstruction" case.

While outside a residence, in Danville on November 1, investigating a deer hunting complaint, a CPO observed a vehicle speed through residential and school areas at over 60mph while running stop signs and lights. He called Danville PD and pursued the vehicle which was being operated by a Danville man. The vehicle, occupied by several people, was finally stopped. Cannabis and open alcohol were found and the driver was DUI. He was arrested for reckless driving, DUI, and various other charges.

Cannabis and other drug related arrests were made by CPOs.

Several Officers made public appearances during November.

REGION V

A CPO responded to a request for assistance from an individual who flagged him down stating "my dad is trying to commit suicide". The CPO went with the individual to his father's home and was confronted by an irate male subject carrying two syringes containing a yellowish liquid. The subject's son stated the syringes contained methamphetamine and his father was going to inject himself. The father then slammed the door and slid a machete behind the door latch to prevent entry. After a stand-off of approximately five hours, two Fayette County Deputies, a State Trooper, and a CPO rushed the house and were able to subdue the subject.

A CPO concluded a six week investigation that resulted in four individuals receiving 13 citations and the seizure of two rifles, a compound bow, two deer head mounts and one deer rack. The violations occurred in November and December of 1999 and January of 2000. The investigation began as a hunting without permission complaint and required several interviews of suspected violators as well as a check of Missouri deer check station records.

A CPO arrested a Washington County subject deer hunting in Pope County. The subject was in possession of two untagged buck deer and had an uncased firearm in a vehicle. The Officer was drawn to the area after hearing four shots 25 minutes after hours. Appropriate citations were issued.

A CPO and a PCPO recovered what appeared to be a stolen ATV on IDNR property at Kinkaid Lake. It was a 2000 model with the key punched out, but had not yet been reported as stolen.

An Officer arrested a subject on two warrants while purchasing gas. The individual was wanted on two warrants, one each in Hamilton and White Counties. The Hamilton County warrant was the result of a felony timber case investigated by the same Officer.

Ten subjects were arrested on FOID card violations by Region Officers.

There were five reported hunting accidents involving falls from tree stands during the month of November.

-A CPO was called to a fatal accident in Johnson County by the Johnson County Sheriff's Department. The climbing stand the hunter was using had apparently slipped and dropped to the base of the tree. The hunter dropped about six feet and was caught by his safety belt and the belt apparently broke his neck.

-A CPO was notified that a Saline County individual had fallen about 22 feet when the limb he was pulling on broke. The hunter sustained severe back and spinal injuries and is paralyzed at this time.

-A CPO was notified that a White County hunter had fallen from a deer stand. It was reported that the individual's injuries included a broken neck, a severe facial skull fracture which caused the loss of vision in one eye, several broken ribs, a fractured vertebrae, broken collar bone, and four broken fingers.

-A CPO was called to a reported accident that occurred on Cache River State area where a hunter from Missouri had been about 20 feet up in a tree, when his stand slid down the tree. The individual had a broken left ankle and a twisted right knee.

-A CPO was called to an accident in Lawrence County where a hunter had fallen from his stand when it "kicked out" as he stood up. The hunter was admitted to the hospital suffering from two compression fractures in his back.

The Fayette County court found that a Centralia individual, who had been charged with shocking fish on the Kaskaskia River, should be fined $1500, ordered to pay court costs of $425 and pay restitution of $1000 to the Jake Wolf Fund. The subject was also given one year of conditional discharge, and forfeited his fish and shocking device.

LAKE MICHIGAN ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS

A wide variety of activities occupied Lake Michigan personnel during the month of November. CPOs checked fishermen along the lakefront, archery deer hunters and waterfowl hunters in northwest, south, and southwest Cook County. In addition, three CPOs went to Region IV to assist during the shotgun deer season. Besides enforcement work, new personnel began their patrol boat Boarding Officer training in preparation for next year.

Immediately following the shotgun deer season, CPOs began their annual inspection of area taxidermists. This timetable was designed to check the establishments in the peak season, and free up personnel later in the winter to concentrate on fish markets and other commercial establishments.

A PCPO made a presentation to the Burnham Park Yacht Club in Chicago. Another PCPO made a presentation to a hunter safety class in northern Cook County. A CPO attended a snowmobile safety class in LaGrange.

Due to a number of factors, most important of which was the impending nasty weather, the patrol boats were placed in winter storage early this year. Both 36' patrol boats remain in the water in downtown Chicago, ready for immediate service in case of an emergency.

DIVISION OF INVESTIGATIONS - SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNIT

On November 1, Investigators went to the home of a Shelby County man to question him about illegal possession of a protected species. When the Investigators arrived, they found the man in the process of cleaning a freshly killed opossum. The man was also in violation by possessing turkeys and waterfowl without the proper permits.

On November 22, an Investigator interviewed a man about the killing of several deer while the District 10 officers inspected the taxidermy business of the man's brother. The man admitted to killing seven buck deer by bow and arrow. He covered the deer by using the permits of family members and friends. Some of the deer were at his brother's taxidermy business. A total of 19 citations were issued to the two men.

A man who an Investigator cited for taking mallards during the closed season, paid $850 to the USF&W in addition to paying $500 for possession of a suspended driver's license. Another man paid $800 for attempting to take mallards during the closed season.

As the result of a complaint, an Investigator watched a Florida resident hunt deer for a day and a half during the first shotgun season. The man only had a second season permit. Although the Investigator did not see the subject kill a deer, he thought it was time to interview him. The man admitted to killing a deer. He went to court a week later and paid a fine of $250 and civil penalty of $250.

At the request of a Colorado Officer, an Investigator interviewed a Chicago area man about the wanton waste of a bear he killed in Colorado this season. Colorado law requires a hunter to take the entire animal out of the field. In this case, only the hide was taken. The man admitted that he had left the bear in the field.

An Investigator closed an investigation in which he assisted the Jersey County Sheriff's Office by interviewing people who were at a party on a Department site. A 19-year-old woman, whose BAC was greater than .08, was killed in a single car accident after leaving the party.

A subject who was arrested last year pled guilty in Randolph County to wildlife offenses and possession of a firearm by a felon and paid a fine of $1500.

TRAINING

Hazardous Material Refresher: a three-hour class held on November 13, 2000, in Shawneetown; attended by one Officer.

Illinois Vehicle Code Update: a three-hour class held on October 16, 2000; instructed by Terry Trueblood, Secretary of State Police; in attendance at the Flora Public Library were one Sergeant, and four Officers; in attendance at Robinson Community Center were two Officers.