Game warden ruining hunt?

[Model 1300]

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?

[jwhunter]

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.

[dirt road ninja]

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.

[ozarkhooks]

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.

[Gamblinman]

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

[Snoodsniper]

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.

[guesswho]

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.

[davisd9]

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.

[Spring Music]

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...

[Cut N Run]

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

[bamagtrdude]

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

[Muzzy61]

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.

[GobbleNut]

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. 

[stinkpickle]

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'.

[Gooserbat]

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.