This weekend Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) law enforcement officers will be patrolling the beaches of Palm Beach County in an effort to educate the public on how people can help protect Florida’s nesting sea turtles.

Officers will explain the unintended consequences that can occur when nesting turtles are disturbed by beachgoers. They also will explain the laws in place to protect these turtles.

This year there appears to be a higher than average number of reported false crawls on the area’s beaches. A false crawl is when a turtle comes onto the beach with the intention of laying eggs but returns to the water without nesting.

“False crawls can be caused by a variety of reasons. However, human interaction, including the use of bright lights, is often a cause,” said FWC Capt. John Suggs. “We want to get out on the beaches and let people know that their behavior can prevent sea turtles from nesting, further jeopardizing these threatened and endangered species.”

The Marine Turtle Protection Act stipulates that it is illegal to injure, harm, harass, capture or attempt to capture any marine turtles, eggs or nests. Any person committing such an offense can be facing a third-degree felony charge.

“We appreciate the public’s interest in these unique reptiles, but we want people to know that an action as simple as shining a light on a nesting female can have serious consequences,” said Suggs. “When you are on the beach, don’t interfere with turtles, and give them ample space and time to complete their nesting process, which can take up to two hours.”

The FWC recommends that people interested in watching a turtle nest on the beach attend a permitted public sea turtle watch. Watches are usually held during June and July, and reservations must be made in advance. For a list of organizations permitted to conduct watches, visit MyFWC.com/SeaTurtle and click on “Where to view Sea Turtles.”

If you see someone disturbing a nest or turtle, call the FWC Division of Law Enforcement at 888-404-FWCC or *FWC from your cell phone.

Not only will participants take home a lifelong hobby, they will leave with a new appreciation for the marine environment. They will learn the basics of environmental stewardship, fishing ethics, angling skills, safety and the vulnerability of Florida’s marine ecosystems in a fun, laid-back atmosphere.

The free, day-long clinic is from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., and advance registration is required. The event is capped at 20 participants.

Lessons include knot tying, cast netting, rod and reel rigging, boating safety, how to be a responsible marine resource steward, marine fish and habitat identification, catch-and-release techniques and more.

If conditions allow, women will have the opportunity to practice their newly learned skills by fishing from the shore. This event is a catch-and-release activity. All participants must have a valid recreational saltwater fishing license unless exempt. Saltwater fishing licenses can be purchased at your local tackle shop or online. Learn more by visiting MyFWC.com/License.

Fishing equipment and bait will be provided during the clinic, but participants are encouraged to bring their own gear.

To register or get more information, please email Jennifer Saranzak at Jennifer.saranzak@MyFWC.com, or call 352-543-9219, ext. 216.

At its meeting in Lakeland, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) presented Alto “Bud” Adams Jr. of Fort Pierce with the 2012 Landowner of the Year award for its Youth Hunting Program of Florida – a program aimed at providing quality hunting experiences for 12- to 17-year-olds to increase the number of youths involved in the tradition of hunting.

Adams, along with some of his staff at Adams Ranch, have provided the opportunity for FWC youth deer hunts on the property for the past two hunting seasons, providing three hunts to 15 youth.

“The property is known for its superb deer hunting and, besides that, offers to the youth hunters over their hunt date weekend amenities such as lodging, fishing ponds and a tree house,” Youth Hunting Program coordinator Jeff Lawlor said.

Adams says he really enjoys giving hunting opportunities to youth on his family’s fourth-generation working cattle ranch and loves meeting and talking at length to the kids and their parents about Florida’s rich history of ranching, cows and cattle drives.

Adams has received numerous awards over the years in conservation, agriculture and cattle farming and has penned such novels as “A Cattlemen’s Backcountry Florida,” “A Child’s Guide to Florida Wildlife,” “A Florida Cattle Ranch” and “Beautiful & Rare Birds of Florida.”

To find out how to become a volunteer landowner or to learn more about Florida’s Youth Hunting Program of Florida, go to MyFWC.com/YHPF.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) law enforcement officers arrested two men June 2 for poaching spiny lobsters in Miami-Dade County. The men illegally possessed 468 wrung lobster tails.

Officers arrested Javiel Vergel (DOB 04/29/76) and Eriel Menendez Casanas (DOB 01/20/74), both of Hialeah, for a multitude of misdemeanor charges, including possession of lobster tails out of season.

They grossly exceeded the daily bag limit of six lobsters per person per day, which is in effect during the regular lobster season: Aug. 6 through March 31. Also, lobster must remain in whole condition. Separating the tail from the body before bringing the lobster ashore is prohibited.           

Of the illegally harvested lobsters, 283 were also undersized, and one was an egg-bearing female. Egg-bearing female lobsters are always illegal to harvest in Florida.

The men also possessed one undersized stone crab claw and one queen conch. Stone crab season is currently closed, and queen conch are illegal to possess in state waters.

The FWC received information from a local law enforcement agency regarding two men acting suspiciously while loading a boat onto a trailer at the Watson Island boat ramp. When the officers investigated further, they discovered a garbage bag full of lobster tails.

FWC officers responded to the scene and conducted a fisheries inspection. They discovered more grocery bags full of spiny lobster tails stowed in various compartments on the vessel.

“The possession of more than 450 illegally harvested lobster tails is a serious violation,” said FWC Maj. Alfredo Escanio, regional commander. “This incident demonstrates how strong working relationships with other law enforcement agencies can help the FWC protect our natural resources. The FWC will work to catch any individuals, like these, who purposely violate the rules and regulations in place to protect these precious resources.”

Participants must successfully complete the online portion of the course prior to attending and bring the final Web report to the FWC course on June 8. It does not have to be notarized.

Students will learn about hunting laws, safe gun handling and hunter ethics/responsibility, among other topics, before taking the final test. The course also includes live-firing instruction on a shooting range.

The class is at the Glades County Sheriff's Office Shooting Range in Moore Haven on Gun Club Road (north of the city barn), 3 miles north of U.S. 27 on State Road 78, and 6 miles south of Lakeport, near the Fisheating Creek entrance.

Participants can sign up at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC’s South Region Office at 561-625-5122. Links to the online part of the course and a statewide schedule of hunter safety classes are available at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety.

Parents or legal guardians must accompany children under 16 years of age to all classes. To participate in live-fire exercises, children under 18 years old must present a parental release form signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course and have a hunting license to hunt alone (unsupervised).

Participants must successfully complete the online portion of the course prior to attending and bring the final Web report to the FWC course on June 8. It does not have to be notarized.

Students will learn about hunting laws, safe gun handling and hunter ethics/responsibility, among other topics, before taking the final test. The course also includes live-firing instruction on a shooting range.

The class is at the Markham Park Shooting Range clubhouse near the trap and skeet fields, 16001 W. State Road 84, Sunrise, FL 33326.

Participants can sign up at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC’s South Region Office at 561-625-5122. Links to the online part of the course and a statewide schedule of hunter safety classes are available at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety.

Parents or legal guardians must accompany children under 16 years of age to all classes. To participate in live-fire exercises, children under 18 years old must present a parental release form signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course and have a hunting license to hunt alone (unsupervised).

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is investigating the suspicious death of an American crocodile found floating in Florida Bay near Islamorada on Sunday. FWC officers recovered the crocodile carcass along the mangrove-covered shoreline near Mile Marker 74.

For information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for killing the crocodile, THE FWC’s Wildlife Alert Reward Association and the Humane Society of the United States are offering a combined reward of up to $6,000. Anyone who provides information can remain anonymous.

The American crocodile in Florida is listed federally as a threatened species. State and federal laws prohibit killing, harassing, feeding or possessing crocodiles. Killing an American crocodile is a third-degree felony.

This female crocodile, known as “Blue #9,” was a longtime resident of the area. It recently made news when it laid eggs in a planter box next to U.S. 1.

The FWC asks anyone who has information regarding the death of this crocodile to call the FWC at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or the Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-346-TIPS.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and partners rescued an approximately 9-month-old female Florida panther in the Golden Gate Estates area of Collier County on Monday.

The FWC received a call about a panther kitten dragging its rear leg. A homeowner noticed the injured panther earlier that morning as he was leaving for work. When he returned home and saw the panther a second time, he notified law enforcement.

FWC panther biologists and law-enforcement officers, deputies with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and staff from the Golden Gate Animal Clinic responded to the area where the panther was last seen. They located the panther in thick brush and sedated it.

After an on-scene assessment of the panther’s condition, FWC biologists transported the panther to the Animal Specialty Hospital of Florida. Veterinarians at the hospital determined that the panther had a compound fracture in her rear right leg, rib fractures and bruising around the lung, all of which were likely caused by a vehicle collision. That evening they performed surgery, using a steel plate to mend the bone together.

With the help of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the panther was taken to the White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, where she will receive care until she has fully healed from her injuries and is ready for release.

“We are pleased with what appears to be a successful surgery with no complications,” said Darrell Land, FWC panther team leader. “Thanks to the help of our partners, this panther has a very good chance of returning to the wild. With only 100 to 160 adults and subadults remaining in south Florida, every panther plays an important role in the population.”

Florida residents can support conservation efforts like the rescue and rehabilitation of injured or orphaned panthers by purchasing a panther license plate. Fees from license plate sales are the primary funding source for the FWC’s research and management of Florida panthers.

To report dead or injured panthers, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on a cell phone.

For more information on Florida panthers go to FloridaPantherNet.org.

A restoration project at Tropical Fish Management Area (FMA), within Miami-Dade County’s Tropical Park will have positive impacts for both fish and anglers. Improved habitat created by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologists will lead to healthier fish populations as well as increased angling opportunities at the FMA.

Tropical FMA is one of the FWC’s management sites intended to provide the public with easy and affordable access to fishing and other nature-based recreational opportunities. Usually established with the help of a local cooperator – in this case, Miami-Dade County – FMAs provide amenities such as fish-stocking, special regulations to protect the fish populations, and vegetation management and enhancement.

Vegetation management and enhancement was the focus of this restoration work.

“The main goals of this project are to provide additional fishing and recreational opportunities to the public, while enhancing the habitat for fish and wildlife that live in or use the lake. We will accomplish this by reconnecting the north and south sections of the lake, opening up additional fishing access and planting native vegetation that will benefit fish and wildlife,” stated John Cimbaro, who has been overseeing Tropical FMA for 15 years. “Excessive cattail growth had blocked off the northern part of the lake, which we considered an important fish-production area. Cattail removal has reconnected the northern section with the rest of the lake, and opened up what should be a good fishing site there.” The project was completed by an FWC contractor, Texas Aquatic Harvesting, and was conducted in close coordination with Miami-Dade County. The county helped reduce project costs by disposing of all removed vegetation.

Components of the restoration program included removal of cattail and spatterdock (a type of water lily) that were reducing fish and wildlife use and blocking fishing access near the middle of the lake. The program also included restoration of native vegetation in the southern part of the lake, which serves as a “nursery area” for young fish. The nursery work required removal of cattail as well as nonnative Brazilian pepper trees. With the invasive vegetation removed, a follow-up project will plant native bulrush, spikerush and pond apple in its place.

“This will provide a shallow, vegetated area where juvenile fish can thrive and wading birds can forage, complementing both the fishery and wildlife use of the lake,” Cimbaro said.

Tropical FMA was established in 1991 and has become a popular fishing area over the years, supporting up to 6,000 hours of annual fishing effort. The most sought-after species in the lake include largemouth bass, catfish and sunfish. The FWC maintains the catfish fishery by stocking 6,000 channel catfish every year. More information about the site is available in the Tropical FMA brochure. To view this brochure or those of other fish management areas, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Freshwater Fishing,” then “Sites & Forecasts.”  

This is also the time of year when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) begins getting calls about “abandoned” animals that folks believe may be in need of rescue. The fact is that rescuing these seemingly abandoned youngsters interferes with the very processes that ensure their survival in the wild.

After giving birth, adult wildlife must forage to provide food for themselves and their young. This means leaving their newborns for short periods.

Having some basic knowledge of wildlife and the survival skills animals use can help avoid attempting to rescue animals that don’t need rescuing.

Common targets of misplaced rescues are baby deer, temporarily left in a safe place while their mother feeds nearby. Many people who find fawns mistakenly assume they have been abandoned when, in reality, their parents are in the process of ensuring the infants’ survival.

“In most cases, it is absolutely not in a fawn’s best interest to rescue it,” said Angeline Scotten, Wildlife Assistance Biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Scotten says what typically happens is someone discovers a young deer waiting for its mother. Often, those fawns are found in palmetto patches or in recently burned areas, where a doe has placed her new offspring for protection. These settings tend to help mask the fawn’s scent, thus providing good protection from the keen nose of a predator.

People become concerned when the parent is nowhere in sight and mistakenly believe the young animal will perish unless they save it or take it to a wildlife rehabilitation center. Unfortunately, actions of this kind usually have the opposite effect of a rescue.

“Stress created by changing the animal’s diet and surroundings is often fatal. If the rescued fawn manages to survive, its return to the wild is practically impossible because of human imprinting and a lack of survival skills, which it would have learned from its mother, had it remained in the wild,” Scotten said.

Feeding wild animals to help them survive is another misconceived notion that can have dire consequences for wildlife. Although this may sound odd, feeding causes problems ranging from poor nutrition, dependence on humans for food and nuisance behaviors that can threaten people, property and pets.

“Wildlife has survived for thousands of years without human interference and, frankly, it certainly seems to work out better for the animals that way,” Scotten said.

The FWC recommends that if you find a fawn or other baby animal, don’t touch it or disturb it and quietly leave the area.

Juvenile birds are also commonly found on the ground at this time of year, looking a bit dazed or confused. The youngster may be trying to hide in tall grass or in low bushes to avoid being seen by predators. These young birds are going through a process called fledging – learning to fly and fend for themselves.

“While fledging, the birds’ parents will continue to care for it by feeding it and helping it to learn needed survival skills. The best advice is to not interfere in this crucial learning process and to keep pets that may harm the young birds confined,” Scotten said.

According to biologists, the only time a baby songbird should be rescued is when it is on the ground and has almost no feathers, when the bird is injured by pets or its tail is less than a half-inch long and it cannot hop around on its own.

“If you find a baby songbird you are sure needs rescuing, and the nest is low enough for you to safely return it, it’s OK to do that. Songbirds have almost no sense of smell, so young birds can be returned to their nest without a chance of rejection,” Scotten said.

You can also place the baby bird in a lined, uncovered, shallow box with drainage, and attach the box to the tree from which the bird fell. Sometimes the parents will come to the baby in the new box and feed it there.

When you are sure a bird needs rescuing and care, place the baby in a tissue-lined box that has air holes in the top. Keep the box in a warm spot away from drafts and air conditioning and out of direct sunlight. Do not give it food or water. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area. Please remember that migratory birds are protected and need to be cared for by a licensed facility.

The FWC’s Southwest Region Office, 863-648-3200, has a list of licensed rehabilitators. Many local veterinarians work closely with wildlife rehabilitators and also can be a good source of help.

The FWC asks you to remember that removing an animal from the wild to save it may actually have the opposite effect. Seek advice from wildlife professionals before attempting to rescue any animal.

“Remember that in most cases, it’s better to leave wildlife in the wild,” Scotten said.

For more information on Florida’s wildlife and what you can do to help, go to MyFWC.com/Conservation and select “How You Can Conserve” and then “Wildlife Assistance – Injured or Nuisance Wildlife.”