Animal officer charged with hunting violations June 22, 2006 12:00 am
An animal control officer in Spotsylvania County is charged with
violating Virginia's turkey- hunting laws, said Capt. Dabney Watts of
the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Jason Cook is charged with 79 misdemeanor counts involving
turkey-hunting violations in Caroline and Richmond counties, Watts said.
He's also being investigated for possible hunting violations at Fort A.P.
Hill.
Cook is still working for the county but is doing only adminis
trative work, said Spotsylvania spokeswoman Kathy Smith. She said he
will not be doing any enforcement work while the charges are pending.
Watts said the turkey-hunting season this spring ran from April 8 to
May 13.
Cook is accused of killing more turkeys than allowed during the season.
Watts said most of the offenses are alleged to have occurred in
Caroline.
Authorities got a war rant to search his Caroline home, Watts said. Cook
is accused of being in possession of turkey beards for which he didn't
have a hunting check card.
Watts said the wild turkey population is good in the Freder icksburg
area, particularly in the Northern Neck. Watts said hunters are allowed
to kill three turkeys per hunting season but just one turkey per day.
-Bill Freehling
Copyright 2006 The Free Lance-Star Publishing Company.
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