Poached Nest FB 74 in Flagler Beach

Today on patrol Rosa and I found some devastating evidence of a poached nest. The poachers first went down the N 12th
walkover and went south to FB 69, where they dug for eggs and made a mess in the nest boundry, then they went North and dragged the "light "cooler, evidenced by the really light cooler wheels in the sand, to FB 17. There they dug again,( the nest with blue ribbon.) But they dug in the body pit. So maybe those eggs were saved.Then the dirtbags moved on to FB 74.FB 74 was a relocated nest, from last Tuesday. There were 109 eggs. It was Rosa and I on that day too. They dug down and found the eggs. Then they covered it up. The deep cooler wheel tracks were very obvious. They dragged the cooler to the N 12th St walkover and were gone. GONE WITH 106 OF OUR BABIES EGGS!!! They had broken 3 eggs, so they just left them in the hole. We called Scott Dak the wildlife Officer first, he said that there was not much he could do at this point!!! Called FWCC, they were "oh so sorry" but not much they could do either. Took Flagler Beach Police 1 hour to respond. Gave us a business card with a case number on it!!! But Rosa and I were too heartbroken to stop there!!! We called News 13 and WESH. Well Saul Sines responded first from 13 News. He took pictures and interviewed us. We actually had 8 hatchlings from a nest in Beverly Beach that we had just cleaned. They were in the cooler ready to be released. Had to take them away from Beverly Beach, too many fishermen in that area. So we released them with Saul Sines. He named 2 of them Fred and Isabel. So I think it was Isabel who he held up for the camera and took her picture. It is all supposed to be on the news tonite. Rosa got a call alittle later and Clair Metz met her at the nest to do an interview. Then Channel 9 called me and did a mini phone interview but left his name and number in case any other events happen. What an awful morning!! We really have to be on the look out now. They got eggs and now know how to find them. If it had rained after they had done the awful deed we may not have noticed. But the cooler wheel tracks were the dead give away. Something else for us to really watch for. Looks to us that they were there in the early morning hours. Maybe before safe light.
Sorry to have to send this awful email but say a "turtle prayer" to our Great Turtle Mother for our lost babies.
Thanks, Lori

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2008/7/29/turtle_nests_vandalized_100_eggs_stolen.html

http://www.wesh.com/green-pages/17031479/detail.html