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Northern Region

Lt. Panico and CO Nestel assisted the NJ State Police with apprehending and charging 3 individuals who were spotlighting with a loaded firearm in their vehicle. Late one evening, a state trooper observed a vehicle spotlighting a farm field in Wantage Township in Sussex County. The vehicle suddenly stopped and turned around when the NJSP vehicle came into view. The trooper initiated a motor vehicle stop and interviewed the 3 passengers who claimed to be spotlighting without any firearms. The individuals were released and the trooper decided to search along the roadside. After a short time, the trooper located a loaded 12 gauge shotgun along the road. The trooper re-interviewed the driver at his residence who admitted to owning the shotgun. He said one of the passengers threw it out the window when they observed his vehicle. Lt. Panico met all 3 individuals at the NJSP Barracks where they admitted they were attempting to locate a deer to shoot. CO Nestel completed the investigation by charging the individuals with all the appropriate “night deer” violations.

While patrolling Sussex County for night deer activity one evening, Lt. Panico and CO Sutton observed 2 individuals dressed in camouflage standing outside a pick up truck. The officers stopped to speak to the individuals as to why they were out so late. Both individuals claimed they had been bow hunting earlier in the day and had just gotten back to the truck. CO Sutton asked if they had any success and both said no. The officer looked in the bed of the truck and observed an untagged 4 point buck. The officer examined the deer and found what appeared to be a slug wound in its chest. When confronted with the information, both individuals admitted to hunting with and shooting the deer with shotguns. The appropriate complaints were signed.

While investigating a bear feeding complaint of improper trash storage at a local Elks Lodge, CO Hutchinson observed a deer with the skullcap removed in the dumpster and upon closer examination, he observed a possession seal attached to its leg. The officer proceeded to the nearest check station and determined that the seal was registered to a doe. He interviewed the hunter at his residence who admitted to killing a 6 point buck and registering it as a doe. He said he didn’t want to use his buck tag. He told the officer the check station attendants do not go outside to inspect the deer. The officer issued the appropriate summonses and returned to the check station to discuss the situation with the owner.

Northern and Central Region COs conducted a Bear Feeding Enforcement Sweep of the Milton area of Jefferson Township in Morris County. COs from the Northern Region conducted a Bear Feeding Sweep of commercial establishments of the Sussex, Morris and Warren County areas.

Lt. Panico and CO Sutton were patrolling an area of Wantage Township known for night deer activity when they observed a vehicle stop and spotlight a field. The officers initiated a motor vehicle stop and found 3 individuals in possession of an uncased, loaded firearm. All 3 individuals were in possession of open containers of alcoholic beverages and one individual had a $2,500.00 warrant for his arrest. The NJSP were called for assistance who took custody of the individual with the outstanding warrant. CO Sutton charged the 3 individuals with all the appropriate complaints.

CO Hutchinson completed an investigation of an individual possessing potentially dangerous and exotic species without the required permits. The individual, who was wearing a T-shirt with skull and crossed snake hooks and the address for a venomous reptile website, was interviewed at his residence. Initially, the individual denied being in possession of any reptiles but eventually admitted to having them. The individual led the CO to a locked room that contained 3 venomous snakes, a Gila monster, a northern pine snake and several other snakes and tortoises. The individual did not have permits for possessing any of the animals. The potentially dangerous and endangered species were seized and transferred to a zoo and nature center. Summonses for possessing the animals without the proper permits were issued.

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Central Region

COs Martiak and Mascio assisted Hamilton Twp. police with an illegal hunting case. The officers were notified that Hamilton P.D. had located an individual hunting in one of their township parks. COs Martiak and Mascio found blood and hair in the back of the hunter’s vehicle. They questioned the hunter who admitted to killing a deer earlier in the week and never tagging it. The hunter also admitted that he had taken the deer to his friend for butchering. Summonses were issued to the hunter for failing to tag a deer, unregistered deer and interference. The friend was also charged with illegal possession.
CO Martiak taught a First Responder class for the Monmouth County Police Academy recruit class.

On the opening day of coastal duck season, Officers Tonnesen and Mutone conducted a boat patrol of the Barnegat Bay. Throughout the day, numerous inspections were made and a total of eight summonses were issued for various duck hunting infractions. The highlight of the day occurred when Officer Tonnesen inspected a sportsman who was hunting after legal hours. The subject was also in possession of a non-game species (Black Bellied Plover), in addition to the rest of his daily bag limit. The appropriate summonses were issued.

Officer Tonnesen recently investigated and issued summonses to two individuals that were illegally hunting ducks on Sunday, within 450 ft of homes, over bait and using a high powered pellet gun. At the time of the incident, only one individual had a valid hunting license, but not the required stamps. The appropriate complaints were signed.

Officers McManus and Mutone recently concluded the investigation of an illegal dumping case which occurred on the Turkey Swamp Wildlife Management Area. The incident involved a large quantity of home and building trash. The investigation involved a number of potential leads and interviews. The officers were finally able to locate the transport vehicle, which contained the same kind of material found at the dump site. Apparently, when the guilty party realized that the officers were looking for him, he went back to the scene in an attempt to clean it up. With information received from an informant, the officers caught the subject at the scene. Officer McManus was able to obtain a written admission from the subject and the appropriate summonses were issued.

Working on information received from the previous year, Officer Szulecki with the assistance of Officer Martiak was able to apprehend two individuals illegally hunting ducks over a baited irrigation pond in Howell Township. During the field inspection the officers also located the parts of two deer in the bed of their pickup truck. The deer parts were not labeled and they gave no plausible explanation for being in possession of the deer. The deer parts were seized and summonses were issued.

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Southern Region

On the opening day of Southern Duck Season, Lt. Massey assisted COs Batten and Ciraolo for the evening hunt. Lt. Massey was watching a hunter that continued to hunt past the legal hours. When the hunter returned to his vehicle Lt. Massey conducted an inspection and interview. The interview established that the hunter had continued to hunt after the legal time. The inspection located 17 rounds of lead shot. Two of which were found in the still loaded shotgun. Appropriate summonses were issued.

While on routine patrol during the opening day of Coastal Duck season COs Ely and Ciraolo located hunters during the closing hours of the day. The officer’s maintained surveillance on the hunters and determined that they were hunting after hours. The officers conducted an interview upon the hunters’ return to their vehicle at the boat ramp. The hunters admitted that they had continued to hunt after the legal quitting time and a subsequent inspection determined that the hunters were over their limit for Brant, had unsigned waterfowl stamps, and were using lead shot. Appropriate summonses were issued.

During a routine check of a check station CO Ely was approached by the stores’ owner with a complaint about a hunter. CO Ely was told that a hunter had come in to check in a deer that he had tagged as a button buck. When the store clerk told him that they needed to see the deer the hunter became extremely angry. While the hunter yelled and cursed at the store owner the clerk went outside and found a large buck in the hunter’s truck with a towel covering an obviously large rack. When the clerk approached the hunter again, he renewed his abuse and demanded that they check in the deer. CO Ely was told that the hunter was not welcome in the check station any more. CO Ely investigated the complaint and discovered that the hunter had killed a nine point buck on Federal property and while legal to do so had tagged the deer as a button buck and not used his buck tag as required. Appropriate summonses were issued.

CO Kille received information that a Pennsylvania resident who regularly hunted waterfowl in New Jersey was a convicted felon. The individual had been apprehended in New Jersey about 5 years ago with 68 snow geese over the limit. This year, COs Kille, Toppin and Stites set up surveillance on one of the major routes of travel between NJ and Pennsylvania, and observed the subjects’ truck enter this State. They then proceeded to follow the subject to a location in Cumberland County where he was arrested and charged criminally for unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. The subject commented that he knew this day would come.

CO Stites was on patrol in Lower Alloway Creek Township in Salem County when he observed a vehicle parked in a farm field. He believed that the vehicle was associated with a person whose hunting privileges were revoked. CO Stites set up surveillance on the vehicle with a night vision scope. After dark a hunter was seen sneaking up to the truck. The hunter was extremely cautious in his approach. When the hunter arrived at the truck CO Stites confronted the man and found him to be actively deer hunting without a license, permit, and while his privileges were revoked. The hunters bow was seized and the appropriate complaints filed.

CO Risher was at home when he received a complaint of shots fired near a residence in the Rosenhayn section of Cumberland County. In this case a hunter stepped out into his yard where he fired at an overhead flight of geese. Unfortunately the shooters’ neighbor was an off duty Cumberland County Sherriff’s officer, who immediately confronted the hunter who had fired the weapon. The NJ State Police also responded to the scene. On his arrival CO Risher interviewed the shooter, who admitted that he had attempted to kill geese. CO Risher further investigated the scene recovering the spent ammunition, and shotgun shell wads. CO Risher’s thorough investigation, interview, and evidence collection led to 7 complaints against the hunter, including careless discharge of a weapon.

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Marine Region

While patrolling Atlantic City, CO Snellbaker received a citizen complaint that a person fishing on the Madison Ave jetty was wrapping up tautog, hiding them in his jacket, and placing them in a van parked nearby. CO Snellbaker watched for an hour and observed two males going to and from the van several times. He thought the suspects might be using the van as shelter from the wind and cold. During his observations, CO Snellbaker saw one male discard a plastic bag into the nearby bushes. At one point both men were seen attempting to re-enter the van; it appeared they had inadvertently locked the keys inside the van. CO Snellbaker continued his observations as panic swept over the individuals in their unsuccessful attempts to regain access. In the fervor, one male pried a window open and the other ran back to the jetty to get his fishing rod. Smoke from a camp stove locked inside the van began to billow out the open window. The second male used his fishing rod to retrieve the van keys through the pried open window. After the man unlocked his van CO Snellbaker inspected the fishermen. One legal size tautog was located inside the van along with fillets of another tautog left cooking on the portable camp stove inside the van. Upon recovery of the discarded plastic bag, CO Snellbaker found the rack of the sub-legal tautog being prepared inside the van. CO Snellbaker issued a summons for one undersized tautog.

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