Time to get some tracer ammo....
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FWC Drones
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Dubble Trubble
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FWC Drones
The more I know about something, the more I know that I did not know as much as I thought I knew that I knew.
Re: FWC Drones
I am of this frame of mind about em 
Anglers are torn at the thought of drones. Many feel that it's an invasion of privacy and more freedoms being taken away. Others feel that if you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to hide.
“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.”
Re: FWC Drones
The idea that the individual can live free in a society that monitors every event of their lives is worrisome. Politics and policies change. Many of us committ a crime unwittingly each day such as speeding, fully stopping at a stop sign, failure to yield, too exhaustive to mention al the little things that can and are being recorded. I do not want to become East Germany or under the watchful eye of the KGB as in the former USSR. When does today's seemigly inncocent act get you in trouble down the road?
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Dubble Trubble
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Re: FWC Drones
Well, I have a BIG problem with it!. Sometimes, when we are out fishing, , the lady has to go to answer natures call. NOBODY has any business with a camera above my head. I will also say if I ever see a drone above my land, I will shoot at it to bring it down....
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The more I know about something, the more I know that I did not know as much as I thought I knew that I knew.
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robbankston
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Re: FWC Drones
It's a big load of horse dookie if you ask me. Another method of control. I'm with you on having a little target practice if I see one. I just hope they are flying low enough. 
A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week. -George S. Patton
Re: FWC Drones
Sweet I need more practice for duck season.
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BeachRum1962
- Posts: 62
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Re: FWC Drones
Careful, they might fire back.robbankston wrote:It's a big load of horse dookie if you ask me. Another method of control. I'm with you on having a little target practice if I see one. I just hope they are flying low enough.
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Fishing_Ninja
- Posts: 13
- Joined: April 22nd, 2013, 2:04 pm
Re: FWC Drones
The Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act went into effect on July 1. As I understand the law, any evidence gathered through the use of a warrantless drone would be inadmissible in court. Furthermore, a search based on evidence gathered from a drone would also be invalid. For those of you unfamiliar with the law, I would recommend doing some research. Anyone who has their boat searched as a result of a drone flying overhead should consult an attorney.
There is no such thing as a bad day fishing.
Re: FWC Drones
http://www.scribd.com/doc/124566385/Flo ... llance-ActFishing_Ninja wrote:The Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act went into effect on July 1. As I understand the law, any evidence gathered through the use of a warrantless drone would be inadmissible in court. Furthermore, a search based on evidence gathered from a drone would also be invalid. For those of you unfamiliar with the law, I would recommend doing some research. Anyone who has their boat searched as a result of a drone flying overhead should consult an attorney.
“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.”
Re: FWC Drones
Well CRAP... I'll have to find another place to hide the bodies.... 
Time is the most precious commodity we have in life, stay focused.
Re: FWC Drones
I don't like the idea of being spyed on by drones. I have daughters and don't like the idea of someone watching my daughters catch fish in their bikinis (which they cover up when others are around, because that's how they are being raised).
That being said, drones do have legitimate uses: Search + Rescue, trailing drug runners from Cuba, looking for refugees, patrolling no fishing zone, etc. We used one last fall up in Kentucky on a train derailment I was working. The chemicals and explosion factor (already had folks go down due to one explosion) necessitated us finding away to assess the wreckage without making a physical entry. A DOD facility nearby offered up the use of their drone and we used it to fly the wreckage to see which tankers were leaking and how badly impacted the ignitable tankers were. It definitely gave us an advantage in proceeding safely. For those type ops I can buy off on their use. To see if I'm keeping Snapper fillets, etc is an invasion of my privacy IMHO. For those who say "you're out on public waters, so there's no expectation of privacy" I say phmpfff. Those waters belong to me as well as to you and others alike and as individual owners we should be alloted an expectation of privacy much like our homes provide.
That being said, drones do have legitimate uses: Search + Rescue, trailing drug runners from Cuba, looking for refugees, patrolling no fishing zone, etc. We used one last fall up in Kentucky on a train derailment I was working. The chemicals and explosion factor (already had folks go down due to one explosion) necessitated us finding away to assess the wreckage without making a physical entry. A DOD facility nearby offered up the use of their drone and we used it to fly the wreckage to see which tankers were leaking and how badly impacted the ignitable tankers were. It definitely gave us an advantage in proceeding safely. For those type ops I can buy off on their use. To see if I'm keeping Snapper fillets, etc is an invasion of my privacy IMHO. For those who say "you're out on public waters, so there's no expectation of privacy" I say phmpfff. Those waters belong to me as well as to you and others alike and as individual owners we should be alloted an expectation of privacy much like our homes provide.
"Be Careful Not To Confuse Motion With Progress."
Re: FWC Drones
Correct me if I'm wrong. Aren't there "crimes that produce victims and crimes that are considered victimless"?
Does the cost of this project really justify the crime? When you place a drone above any of 100 interstate highways, would it "capture" a dozen people and hour driving more than 10mph over the speed limit? A dozen people a min? Perhaps a dozen more going 20mph above the speed limit? Are they dangerous to the rest us? Some, are definitely dangerous! Seems to me like it would be a much wiser and cost efficient use of drone technology to "serve and protect" society.
Why not use this technology to "watch" known high crime areas? Why not use this technology to "watch" nuclear power facilities? We're always told, "Everyone wants to make a dirty bomb". We seem to be worried about "protecting a damn fish" more than protecting the our citizens.
When the technology becomes "Dime Store" cost, then perhaps use it to catch me fishing with the wrong kind of fish hook. Just think about how stupid that is!
By the way, if you are peeing in public, or even worse.......... isn't that another "victimless crime" that they'll capture?
Does the cost of this project really justify the crime? When you place a drone above any of 100 interstate highways, would it "capture" a dozen people and hour driving more than 10mph over the speed limit? A dozen people a min? Perhaps a dozen more going 20mph above the speed limit? Are they dangerous to the rest us? Some, are definitely dangerous! Seems to me like it would be a much wiser and cost efficient use of drone technology to "serve and protect" society.
Why not use this technology to "watch" known high crime areas? Why not use this technology to "watch" nuclear power facilities? We're always told, "Everyone wants to make a dirty bomb". We seem to be worried about "protecting a damn fish" more than protecting the our citizens.
When the technology becomes "Dime Store" cost, then perhaps use it to catch me fishing with the wrong kind of fish hook. Just think about how stupid that is!
By the way, if you are peeing in public, or even worse.......... isn't that another "victimless crime" that they'll capture?
Last edited by Ifishtoo on August 6th, 2013, 11:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: FWC Drones
Damn it, another reason to hire an attorney just to go fishing!!! Will it ever end. Why in the hell don't we all return with a catch of "Illegal drugs"! Go catch a damn pirate, it's headlines you really want!!!Fishing_Ninja wrote:The Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act went into effect on July 1. As I understand the law, any evidence gathered through the use of a warrantless drone would be inadmissible in court. Furthermore, a search based on evidence gathered from a drone would also be invalid. For those of you unfamiliar with the law, I would recommend doing some research. Anyone who has their boat searched as a result of a drone flying overhead should consult an attorney.
Re: FWC Drones
The FWC has started using dogs to search boats for hidden fish, fish fillets, lobster, etc. on boats at landings. I believe they have or had a German Shorthaired Pointer that was working between Carrabelle and Mexico Beach looking for out of season red snapper. I'm not positive of this particular area though. How do you feel about having your boat sniffed by a dog like a common suspected drug dealer?
Dog helps FWC officers find illegal fish, lobster catches
FWC officer Hank Juntunen and his K-9 partner Gauge sniff out fisheries law violators
June 1, 2010|By Steve Waters, Sun Sentinel
Wildlife officer Hank Juntunen says he's lucky to have a partner who has a nose for finding illegal fish catches.
At John U. Lloyd State Park in Dania Beach last week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission employees were awaiting anglers at the boat ramp. When two spearfishermen came in, the duo went to work to check out their boat.
Juntunen went to his vehicle and returned with Gauge, a 78-pound black Labrador retriever.
The divers admired the enthusiastic dog as he and Juntunen circled the boat, then Gauge hopped in and sniffed the cooler, the hatches and the dive gear.
"That is cool," diver Mike Welter said. "I wish I had a fish in there so he could find it."
Juntunen closely watched the dog's reaction. When Gauge didn't go on alert, it meant there wasn't anything in the boat worth investigating, such as lobsters, which are not in season.
Gauge is an "aggressive alert dog," which means his behavior changes when he sniffs one of the scents on which he was trained. When he detects something, Juntunen said Gauge might scratch at a cooler that contains the scent or his body will become rigid or he'll breathe deeper.
"When he alerts, I can't pull him off," Juntunen said.
Last lobster miniseason, Gauge alerted to a cooler that contained some lobster eggs. The divers had brought egg-bearing females into their boat, which is against the law, then discarded them. His reward for detecting the illegal catch: Gauge gets french fries from McDonald's.
Juntunen has been with the FWC for almost eight years. When an opportunity to work a K-9 detail came up, he was interviewed and accepted. He and Gauge hooked up in December 2008 and they went through a 480-hour training academy, which earned Gauge his certification from the U.S. Police Canine Association.
Gauge travels in a custom-built dog transport cage in Juntunen's Ford Expedition. One of 16 FWC K-9 teams — the next closest is in Collier County — Juntunen and Gauge respond to calls for assistance from Okeechobee to Marathon. When they're not tracking, they often hang out at boat ramps and fishing piers, where Gauge can sniff out anyone with illegal catches, such as undersized snook and snapper, or too many lobsters.
Saturday and Sunday they'll demonstrate Gauge's talents at The Blue Wild Ocean Adventure Expo at the Broward County Convention Center.
"Instead of me going through all the hatches for 20 to 30 minutes," Juntunen said, "Gauge reduces our time down to three to five minutes."
Gauge does more than just sniff out seafood. He also specializes in tracking people who are lost or trying not to be found. And he can smell burnt gunpowder, which has allowed Juntunen to find weapons used in crimes as well as a suicide victim.
After a recent shooting in Pompano Beach, Juntunen and Gauge assisted the Broward Sheriff's Office. Deputies had searched the ground where the suspected shooter had been, but couldn't find anything. Gauge started sniffing and showed interest in a building with a peaked roof 20 feet high. Juntunen asked a deputy if he'd looked on the roof and, sure enough, there was the handgun that the shooter had ditched.
Gauge, who turns 3 next month, also has helped catch fugitives who run from FWC officers by getting on their trail and pushing them to where officers are waiting. He located arrows that were used to kill a Florida panther — he picked up the shooter's scent on the arrows — which enabled officers to make a case against the suspect.
"This is the best job at the commission," Juntunen said. "He's a fun dog to work with. He's always happy to work. I got lucky with him."
Steve Waters can be reached at 954-356-4648 or swaters@SunSentinel.com
Dog helps FWC officers find illegal fish, lobster catches
FWC officer Hank Juntunen and his K-9 partner Gauge sniff out fisheries law violators
June 1, 2010|By Steve Waters, Sun Sentinel
Wildlife officer Hank Juntunen says he's lucky to have a partner who has a nose for finding illegal fish catches.
At John U. Lloyd State Park in Dania Beach last week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission employees were awaiting anglers at the boat ramp. When two spearfishermen came in, the duo went to work to check out their boat.
Juntunen went to his vehicle and returned with Gauge, a 78-pound black Labrador retriever.
The divers admired the enthusiastic dog as he and Juntunen circled the boat, then Gauge hopped in and sniffed the cooler, the hatches and the dive gear.
"That is cool," diver Mike Welter said. "I wish I had a fish in there so he could find it."
Juntunen closely watched the dog's reaction. When Gauge didn't go on alert, it meant there wasn't anything in the boat worth investigating, such as lobsters, which are not in season.
Gauge is an "aggressive alert dog," which means his behavior changes when he sniffs one of the scents on which he was trained. When he detects something, Juntunen said Gauge might scratch at a cooler that contains the scent or his body will become rigid or he'll breathe deeper.
"When he alerts, I can't pull him off," Juntunen said.
Last lobster miniseason, Gauge alerted to a cooler that contained some lobster eggs. The divers had brought egg-bearing females into their boat, which is against the law, then discarded them. His reward for detecting the illegal catch: Gauge gets french fries from McDonald's.
Juntunen has been with the FWC for almost eight years. When an opportunity to work a K-9 detail came up, he was interviewed and accepted. He and Gauge hooked up in December 2008 and they went through a 480-hour training academy, which earned Gauge his certification from the U.S. Police Canine Association.
Gauge travels in a custom-built dog transport cage in Juntunen's Ford Expedition. One of 16 FWC K-9 teams — the next closest is in Collier County — Juntunen and Gauge respond to calls for assistance from Okeechobee to Marathon. When they're not tracking, they often hang out at boat ramps and fishing piers, where Gauge can sniff out anyone with illegal catches, such as undersized snook and snapper, or too many lobsters.
Saturday and Sunday they'll demonstrate Gauge's talents at The Blue Wild Ocean Adventure Expo at the Broward County Convention Center.
"Instead of me going through all the hatches for 20 to 30 minutes," Juntunen said, "Gauge reduces our time down to three to five minutes."
Gauge does more than just sniff out seafood. He also specializes in tracking people who are lost or trying not to be found. And he can smell burnt gunpowder, which has allowed Juntunen to find weapons used in crimes as well as a suicide victim.
After a recent shooting in Pompano Beach, Juntunen and Gauge assisted the Broward Sheriff's Office. Deputies had searched the ground where the suspected shooter had been, but couldn't find anything. Gauge started sniffing and showed interest in a building with a peaked roof 20 feet high. Juntunen asked a deputy if he'd looked on the roof and, sure enough, there was the handgun that the shooter had ditched.
Gauge, who turns 3 next month, also has helped catch fugitives who run from FWC officers by getting on their trail and pushing them to where officers are waiting. He located arrows that were used to kill a Florida panther — he picked up the shooter's scent on the arrows — which enabled officers to make a case against the suspect.
"This is the best job at the commission," Juntunen said. "He's a fun dog to work with. He's always happy to work. I got lucky with him."
Steve Waters can be reached at 954-356-4648 or swaters@SunSentinel.com
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Fishing_Ninja
- Posts: 13
- Joined: April 22nd, 2013, 2:04 pm
Re: FWC Drones
Using dogs for searches is problematic for FWC too. As a recreational fisherman, law enforcement still needs probable cause or consent to conduct a warrantless search of a vessel and it's contents. The dog may circle the outside of the boat, but he can not rummage through the boat. Furthermore, the dog would have to be able to tell the difference between legal fish and illegal fish. (It is quite possible the dogs can distinguish between species)Always keep in mind that when an officer asks if he or she can look in your cooler or livewell, you can say no. There is a reason they are asking for permission. They have to have probable cause to believe you have harvested illegal fish. Once you provide them your fishing license and boat registration (something they have an absolute right to stop you and ask for), simply having fishing poles and a cooler on board is not enough. Furthermore, saying no is not sufficient grounds for probable cause either.
In no way am I advocating the harvesting of illegal fish, I just like privacy. If anyone wants to better understand their rights and what is required for an officer to conduct a search, do the research (start with Carroll v. United States and follow the trail) or simply look at Florida law
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/STATUTES/ind ... 9.334.html
Even when my cooler is empty, I still refuse to consent to a search. I am just confrontational that way. I am, however, always as polite as I can possibly be.
In no way am I advocating the harvesting of illegal fish, I just like privacy. If anyone wants to better understand their rights and what is required for an officer to conduct a search, do the research (start with Carroll v. United States and follow the trail) or simply look at Florida law
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/STATUTES/ind ... 9.334.html
Even when my cooler is empty, I still refuse to consent to a search. I am just confrontational that way. I am, however, always as polite as I can possibly be.
There is no such thing as a bad day fishing.