Opening day of the 2014 trout season was busy for the officers in the Northern Region. Changes to the stocking locations and numbers of trout stocked did not keep the anglers from participating like usual. The officers spent the day answering questions and inspecting licenses and creels. Most anglers were compliant, but summonses were also issued for fishing without a license, possession of trout without a trout stamp, wrongful procurement of a resident fishing license, fishing during the pre-season closure, possession of over the daily limit of trout, and possession of bait in the Trout Conservation Area.

Northern Region Officers were able to concentrate on warm-water fisheries this year during the early spring due to the abbreviated trout stocking season. Officers Ziegler and Wren answered complaints and inspected multiple walleye anglers in Sussex and Somerset Counties. Summonses were issued for possession of walleye during the closed season, and possession of undersized walleye.

The Striped Bass fishing in the Newark Bay Complex has been very busy during this report period. Over the course of two subsequent weekends, Officers Kuechler and Driscoll, and Lieutenant Applegate, issued 119 summonses for possession of undersized Striped Bass, possession of over the daily limit of Striped Bass, wanton waste of marine fish, littering while fishing, and interference with the duties of a Conservation Officer. The Officers infiltrated a construction site that was being run as a "private fishing area" by the night security guard. The guard was paid a fee by anglers who he allowed to fish inside the gated site. On one occasion, the officers contacted eight (8) anglers in the early morning hours, which were collectively in possession of 75 undersized Striped Bass.

Officers Wren, Paey, Ocampo and Ziegler conducted boat patrols of Round Valley reservoir in Hunterdon County, and Lake Hopatcong in Morris and Sussex Counties. Lots of boats and shoreline anglers were inspected during the patrols and summonses were issued for fishing without a license, loaning a fishing license to another person and interference with the duties of a Conservation Officer.

CO Mascio and Lt. Lacroix conducted a late night patrol along the Delaware River in Trenton. Twenty fishermen were inspected and eight summonses were issued, including three for fishing without a license, two for taking or possessing striped bass during the closed season, two for taking striped bass under legal size and one for interference.

Lt. Lacroix and CO McManus conducted a late Saturday night patrol of the Assunpink and Colliers Mills WMA's. Thirty one individuals were encountered. Twenty summonses were issued for violations of possession of alcoholic beverages, after hours and building and maintaining a fire.

CO Martiak assisted the South Brunswick Police Department and the Conrail Police Department in an investigation involving a Conrail employee who claimed he had been bitten by a coyote while working along the railroad tracks in South Brunswick. The employee called Trenton Dispatch to report the bite. When he stated that he was going to start shooting coyotes, Trenton Dispatch referred the call to Kim Tinnes with NJDFW Wildlife Control. Kim and Tony McBride both spoke to the man who became defensive when questioned as to where this had happened. The man then stated that he had set up traps with explosives along the railroad tracks. CO Martiak and officers with SBPD and Conrail PD searched the railroad tracks on foot to make sure there were not any explosives or traps set. According to Conrail, they have had numerous problems with this employee. The case is being investigated by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.

CO's McManus, Riviello, Martiak and Lt. Szulecki conducted a Saturday night operation between the hours of 9:00 PM and 1:00 AM on the Greenwood Forest WMA. Over the course of the patrol, fifty-five individuals were inspected and fourteen Title 23 summonses were issued for violations such as building a campfire, alcoholic beverages and after hours on a State WMA. One Title 39 summons was issued for an unregistered motor vehicle.

While patrolling the Greenwood Forest WMA, CO Mutone came across miscellaneous household debris dumped at a specific location. Within the debris pile CO Mutone found papers that identified the address and name of the debris' owner. CO Mutone visited the address and spoke with the wife of the person whose name was found on the paperwork. The woman called her husband at work so that CO Mutone could speak to him. He agreed to meet with CO Mutone the next day in person to discuss the incident. After a brief interview, the man suggested that someone must have taken his trash from off of the curb to sell it for scrap. When CO Mutone told the man that the trash that was dumped had no value at a recycling facility, he became very nervous and avoided eye contact. He was charged with dumping on a State WMA and disposing of solid waste in excess of 0.148 cubic yards.

On March 25, 2014, a pet bobcat escaped from a woman's home in Stafford Township. The cat had done the same thing in the fall of 2013 and the woman was issued a summons by Stafford Police for allowing the cat to run free. On that occasion, CO Riviello spoke to the owner of the bobcat and she provided him with a receipt from a breeder in Montana where she purchased the cat. The receipt stated that the cat is a bobcat hybrid mix. CO Riviello contacted Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and spoke to an investigator who told him that the breeder in question only raised and sold purebred bobcats. In addition, information obtained from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation provided documentation of a bobcat which was proven to be a pure bobcat and had also come from the same breeder in Montana in 2010. On April 11, 2014, Lt. Szulecki obtained a search warrant to draw blood from the bobcat to have a DNA test conducted to determine whether the cat is a bobcat hybrid mix or purebred bobcat. The cat is being held at the Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey Township pending the outcome of the test.

On the opening day of the 2014 NJ Trout Season, Lt. Szulecki patrolled the Shark River in search of fishermen who might appear to be taking over their legal limit of trout. After locating a fisherman who was catching a trout every five to ten minutes, Lt. Szulecki began observing him from a covert location. The man was observed taking four of the trout that he caught and putting them on a stringer next to where he was fishing. After he caught a fifth trout, he walked up stream and put the trout on another stringer that he had hidden which already had five trout on it. This would bring the total number trout in his possession to eleven. Lt. Szulecki inspected the fisherman as he was attempting to leave. After a brief interview the man admitted to taking more than his legal limit of trout. He was issued a summons for the violation

The Central Region Office received information about household debris that was recently dumped at the Turkey Swamp Wildlife Management Area in Freehold Township, Monmouth County. CO Mutone went to the site and found in the debris a box with a shipping label and an invoice addressed to a residence in Jackson Township, Ocean County. The next day CO Mutone went to the residence and explained to the owner the nature of her investigation. The owner said her 19 year old son was supposed to have taken the debris to the local landfill. The owner said she would contact CO Mutone when her son came home. CO Mutone later met with the son. He was cooperative and admitted to dumping the debris and he gave a written statement. He said he went to the landfill but it was closed, so he illegally dumped the debris at Turkey Swamp WMA. He was issued summonses for discarding refuse on a State WMA and disposal of solid waste in excess of 0.148 cubic yards

Central Region Officers issued four Permits to Kill Wild Deer to farmers in the region.