Last spring I heard a story about a grandfather taking his grandson on his first turkey hunt hear in PA well I guess they heard a turkey so the moved in on it and the grandfather set his grandson up and walked back 20 yards or so and started calling. Just when the bird got into range 2 game wardens showed up and scared the bird away. The kid and his grandfather were withing talking distance when the wardens showed up. So my question to all of you is has a warden ever ruined your hunt?
I've had them walk up to my stand while deer hunting. Really makes me mad when I get a day off work and they ruin the 1st part of a mornings hunt by checking my license. I've also had them flank a dove field and check guys as well. I had a buddy tell me last year a warden flew in on a helicopter on his dove field.
I really try and respect the wardens. I want them around our land to catch poachers and people hunting illegally. I just wish they would stop me at the truck and check my license instead of walking in on me.
Never a hunting trip, but twice while fishing. Once I was fishing with a friend and his wife and the brilliant WL&F boat decides to try and check us. We were smoking the trout about 50 yards off a small island and on the edge of an oyster reef. I had the boat sitting in 3-4 feet of water and we were casting into about 18 inches of water. Well the warden, unfamiliar with the area (I guess) comes and tries run up on us, but hits the reef about 50 yards away from us. He then proceeds to chew his way out with the tax payers 225 hp engine and overheats it. Well the trout quit bitting there, so I cranked up, waived, and left. We ended up catching our limits elsewhere and he caught us heading back to the launch. After a quick look at our fish and a life jacket check we were on our way.
Another time I was fishing a rodeo alone in my brand new boat. I was in the Gulf anchored up on a old sunking boat in 12 foot of water. I was free lineing live croakers and had the makings of a very impressive box. Well a warden boat comes in from offshore and sees me. They pull up on me and one jumps out of his boat into mine scuffing the crap out of my boat with combat boots. He opened my box and was blown away by the size of the trout, so much so he jumps back to his boat and tells the other warden to look at them. He jumps in and scuffs up the boat and they leave. It took a hour or so for the fish to start eating agian. Both days ended well, and I appreciate the job they do. Even if they do screw up a trip or two.
Back in the 80's when my brother started turkey hunting someone he knew Had a local game warden walk up to him while he was working a bird. The hunter stood up with his mask still covering his face and Knocked the warden out cold and was out of the woods before he came to. I have heard this story several times growing up around here, even from the view of the warden and the story hasn't changed any.
Never had one walk up to me while hunting, but several times they were waiting for me back at the truck. Just checked the normal stuff and off he went.
Gman
The PA wardens do a relatively high risk job for what they're paid. I've spent some time with a few of them when they did summer bear trapping and had a great time. I've been checked 3-4 times in twenty some years and never had one walk in on me. My understanding is they will only do that if there's a person of interest in the area. That said there's always a few pricks out there that give the others a bad rep.
I've been hunting close to 50 years and I can honestly say I've never had a negative experience with a GW. I'm sure there are exceptions though.
Only been checked once in 20 years or better in the outdoors. It was when I was fishing. I probably could have left but did not feel comfortable just leaving. The officer was checking others and running things in his truck. I walked up and asked if he wanted to see my license. He said, " Since you are here sure, but I am sure you are good if you walked up to me." I handed it to him, he glanced at it and said to have a good evening. I have never had a bad experience when I have spoke with them on the phone or at outdoor shows either. I am always glad to see one at the landings, pulling up to dove shoots, riding around, etc. I am not doing anything wrong so I do not worry about them.
If one ever did walk in on me and "ruin" a hunt then no big deal. I will gladly speak with him and just go on a find another bird afterwards.
Ive been checked on several occasions and never had a bad experience with nor ever had a LEO walk in on me while hunting. If they are in the woods looking around I would almost bet they are looking for something or someone...
I was duck hunting in Colorado with a friend in 1980 and we'd limited out on mallard drakes. We had one duck down that was crippled, but was still alive enough to out-swim the dog. The pond we were hunting over was small enough that I knew the duck would head towards the heaviest cover, so we called off the dog and packed up the decoys before it got dark. I slipped around the edge of the pond and saw the mallard before he saw me. I finished him with one shot, then gathered him up to make the long walk back to the truck. When we got to the truck there was a game warden waiting who wrote both of us a ticket for shooting after legal shooting hours. I admitted that I'd shot one time after legal hours, but that was to recover an already downed animal. The game warden wouldn't hear it and wrote a ticket to both of us, even though I admitted to being the shooter.
Rather than fight it, the guy hunting with me paid the fine, but I wasn't about to have that on my record. When time came for me to go to court, my vehicle was broke down & in the shop and I couldn't arrange a ride to court. Walking was the only way I could get there, so I got up at 4:30AM and started walking to cover the 12 miles to make the 9:00AM court date. I got there just as they were closing the doors & they almost wouldn't let me in. When I explained that I'd walked all 12 miles to get there, they let me in.
When my case was called, I explained the circumstances and said that if I was hunting the next day that I'd risk getting another ticket to finish off a crippled bird rather than leaving it to suffer. It turns out that the judge was also a duck hunter and saw things my way. He asked the game warden why he'd written two tickets when I'd confessed to the one shot after hours to finish the crippled bird. The warden claimed that he didn't see either one of us shoot and that made us both guilty. The judge said that if everyone accepted responsibility for their actions by following up on a wounded bird and risking a ticket rather than leaving it to suffer, understood the essence of being a true sportsman. The bailiff then told the judge that I'd been walking since 4:30AM to get to court on time, the judge apologized for having to defend myself over a bogus ticket. The game warden didn't mess up my hunt, but he tried to mess up my record with an unjust ticket.
I've had way more game wardens help me than hurt my hunting / fishing experiences. I've even helped them bust a few poachers & illegal hunters, who were stealing resources from all of us.
Jim
Quote from: guesswho on January 14, 2015, 07:20:56 AM
I've been hunting close to 50 years and I can honestly say I've never had a negative experience with a GW. I'm sure there are exceptions though.
+1
Most of my experiences have been good. Had one several years ago when fishing a bass tournament.
We had close to 100 boats. The tournament staff had a check in procedure where they checked for all your required safety equipment, and once you passed they put a bright pink ribbon on your trolling motor to show you were inspected. A local game warden was standing there watching the process. When the tournament began we raced across the lake to a spot we knew a good early top water bite was on. We got there made 5 cast and had caught 4 keepers when a boated raced up to us, we turned thinking it was another fisherman. It was the same game warden. He asked to check our licence and to see all our safety equpment. We pointed out that we were in the same tournament that he just watch us be checked. He said didn't matter that he had not performed it. Told us he could fine me, beacuse my partner didn't know which compartment had the throwable device.Then he had to measure each of our fish. the whole time, he is telling us how tournament fishing was ruining fishing for everybody else.The thing took over 20 minutes. When he left us, he went 75 yards down the bank to the next competitor and started the same thing with them.
At the end of the day he had rechecked 2/3 of the boats in the tournament, and killed our top water bite.
There are always exceptions, but most game wardens are good folks just trying to do their job. ...And their job is basically to catch poachers and the like that are stealing wildlife from those of us that choose to play by the rules.
Two things to do as a hunter/fisherman: 1) play by the rules,...and 2) get to know the conservation officers in the areas you hunt. That will do wonders for eliminating any negative encounters with them.
Quote from: Gamblinman on January 13, 2015, 10:52:56 PM
Never had one walk up to me while hunting, but several times they were waiting for me back at the truck. Just checked the normal stuff and off he went.
Gman
Same here...and they always ask if I've found any mushrooms on the property during turkey season. Hmmm...my answer is always 'no'.
I've had them check me at the truck on occasion, and I even had one pull me over once to check me, but I never had one "show up" in the woods.
Most have checked me at the truck. Had one a couple years ago slip into the woods & wait on me to come out but he didn't interfere with our hunt. It was youth day & I had my little cousin with me. When we started out I happen to see him sitting on a hillside about 150 yds from us. When we walked up to him I saw it was one I knew who had checked me before. He's a nice guy & asked me how I spotted him. I told him I just happen to see him through a small opening through the trees. Told him he was going to have to do a better job next time. We both got a good laugh out of it. In my 40 years of hunting most of my experiences with game wardens have been good.
Had one in a helicopter that kept circling over top of me during deer gun season. He was about 150 feet up. Really ticked me off. So I start to the road and there is one walking down a logging road looking for me. So he checked me and off he went after my cousin. I got to the road and there was 2 more. They checked me. I start down the road to the truck and the heli came over head and hovered until another warden showed up and checked me. I got down the road about 300 yards and look down the right fork and there was 2 more warden trucks unloading four wheelers. Watched them take off into some private land. I get about 150 more yards to where I can see the owners house and the truck and there is yet another warden truck talking to the owner. So they back out and come and check me. I was so mad. They had not had a call of any wrong doing. They said they was in a joint effort with all the surrounding wardens to locate and check as many hunters as they could. This was in the afternoon and they said they had been at it since day light and had caught 2 people without license and 2 people without deer tags. So it seemed like a complete waste of time and resources to me for that many guys and hours of work and to take the surrounding counties wardens away from their own county.
I've only been check a few times and both were good people. I've worked with several back in my home county and always had a good relationship with them. It's a very dangerous job and I'm glad there around enforcing the game laws but unfortunately sometimes that interferes with our hunting...but its something that happens went actively seeking people breaking the game laws of the state.
God bless
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Quote from: Gamblinman on January 13, 2015, 10:52:56 PM
Never had one walk up to me while hunting, but several times they were waiting for me back at the truck. Just checked the normal stuff and off he went.
Gman
^^^This.
While turkey hunting in Montana, I had a warden check my "OK to hunt" card signed by the ranch-owners. He said he did not recognize the signatures and thought I had forged them. So I quickly called the rancher on my cell-phone and had him speak with the warden. The rancher began laughing and said to come-up to the ranch-house and we'd talk about it!. Warden said ok, he'd follow me to the ranch, as he did not know the rancher (?) As we approached the lane to the house, the warden went on by, not stopping or following me to the house. Never saw him again!!
Had a Federal GW come slipping up behind my brother and me when we were doing some walk-in duck hunting on a big lake. He was kind enough to stop in the brush and hide his face when ducks came working in.
We shot two and he gave us a quick check and went back where he came from.
I got checked while fishing one time. I noticed the warden had some trot line gear in his boat. He smiled when I asked, he was doing his own fishing between checking folks. Super nice young man.
Yep opening morning I was in FL in 2012 working a gobbler and he was closing fast, only to have a game warden come walking in to check license. I wasn't pleased but did kill a really nice 4yr old that afternoon so maybe he saved me from killing a smaller one :)
I'm inclined to believe Phil Robertson's statement about heaven. Mallard ducks are flying everywhere and you don't have to worry about game wardens because there's no way any of them made it to heaven.
Ive never been checked, and have only ever seen one warden on duty driving down the road near public land.
I've had them come roaring up in a boat while we were slaying the fish, and scare all the fish away. >:(
Haven't had any ruined hunts by GW's, but a friend of mine had a GW with a dog track him from his truck to his treestand, and showed up at prime time to check him. WTF??? Couldn't he have waited at the truck?
I've also had a GW threaten to confiscate a hen turkey I took with a bow legally during fall archery season. I had to break out the rule book and show him how to do his job!! >:( He also had 3 guys in cuffs sitting on the ground nearby. As I got in my truck to drive away, I looked back at the GW, winked and asked what those guys did wrong. :lol: He didn't think I was as funny as I did. ;D
Other than that, all my experiences with GW's have been positive.
I have had two bad incidents with wardens. The first was when the warden pushed and pushed to get an extra shell in a young man's shotgun until the plug broke at which time he wrote him up.
The second ruined more than a hunt. The lessees of an 800 acre tract didn't turkey hunt and gave me carte blanche of the place and it was a sweet property. The landowner reserved about 400 acres adjacent to the lease and apparently decided that he wanted to turkey hunt. There was constant noise emanating from the 400 acre tract in the form of 4-wheelers, barking dogs and other general noise making, but seeing my vehicle parked on the 800 acre tract caused him to believe that I was the cause of him not hearing any birds. He had seen my son and I walk up the public road following a hunt and he could have inquired about my presence on the property at that time, but he didn't.
A couple of weeks later I had gone up the powerline to hunt a gobbler, but the turkey went quiet and I decided to lay down for a nap. I awoke around eleven and peeked down the powerline with my binoculars. The powerline ran across the ridges. I spied my gobbler on a ridgetop between me and the car and as I was watching the gobbler and deciding what course of action I was going to take, the gobbler threw up his head and took to the timber. I immediately saw a man on the next ridge near the car and thought he must be a timber man. Having permission to hunt the property, I headed back to the car. When I got to the ridge where I had seen the man I was ordered to stop. I explained my rights to what turned out to be a game warden, but as he had been summoned by the landowner to arrest me, that is what happened.
When I presented my permission letter from the lessee at court a couple of months later the judge naturally dismissed the case and gave the warden a chewing out he will never forget. Unfortunately, the landowner is always right, even when wrong, and I lost a heck of a place to hunt and he lost the best caretaker of his property that he ever could have. Such is life.
All other incidents with wardens have been pleasant.
I have been checked a few times while fishing with no problems. Never had a hunt ruined but have been checked while walking back to my truck, when returning to the ramp after duck hunting and while sitting in my truck eating lunch during a deer hunt. Oh yeah, many times while checking in a gobbler at the WMA check station. :newmascot:
Had one drive his truck through the farm, checked my license and left and I killed a 12pt 30 min later. Had one wave as I went by trolling w the wife last year and he didn't even ask me to stop. I was shocked and very glad as I was coming up on the crappie point and even boated a slab within sight of him. I guess he figured the wife would keep me in check, LOL
I have had dozens I other "outdoorsmen" screw me over though. Even had a guy two years ago take his boat between me and the bank and I was 30 ft off if it and catching crappie. It was over after he did that as the fish were gone. The wife was along that time too so I acted civil but boy was I ever ready to give that guy a thorough talking-to. Oh well some guys are just stupid whether they are in the woods, on the water or in their car cutting you off in traffic.
Good luck
Its easiest for me to buy the turkey permits at the local F&G office, as its nearby. But I have met these same folks in the field and I'm here to tell you they ain't the same customer-counter-service-being-salaried-by-my-tax-dollars folks as when they're in the office. That's life I guess,