FL: Felon caught hunting turkeys in Ocala National Forest during closed season

https://www.ocala-news.com/2025/04/04/felon-caught-hunting-turkeys-in-ocala-national-forest-during-closed-season/

04/04/2025

A 64-year-old convicted felon from Silver Springs was arrested after he was allegedly caught on camera hunting for turkeys with a shotgun in the Ocala National Forest during the closed season.

On Sunday, March 16, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) received a tip that two individuals had been spotted on a trail camera near the 3300 block of Forest Road 11. One of those individuals was “walking with a shotgun in hand” to a “turkey hunting spot,” according to the arrest report.

At the time, it was a closed season for hunting turkeys in the Ocala National Forest.

In response to the tip, several FWC officers arrived on scene used a K-9 partner to locate the two individuals. The report stated that the individuals were “dressed in camo clothing,” and they had “turkey vests, calls, and decoys.” In addition, the officers observed a shotgun between two hunter blinds that appeared to have been “thrown” there.

After viewing a photo from the trail camera, the officers were able to identify the individual holding the shotgun as Richard Scott Yarbrough. According to the report, ammunition was found inside Yarbrough’s hunting vest, and he told the officers that he was aware that he cannot possess firearms or ammunition under federal law.

The officers read Yarbrough his Miranda rights, and he refused to answer any further questions. He was placed under arrest, booked into Marion County Jail, and released two days later after posting a $3,000 bond.

Yarbrough is facing the following charges: possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon and hunting in an area during closed season.

On Tuesday, April 15, Yarbrough is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m., according to jail records.