# BUSTED by a GAME WARDEN



## buckmark23 (Jul 1, 2006)

I have never been checked by a game warde/CO but I wanted to know if any of you have been. A really good friend was telling me that he was check 3 times in one weekend while hunting the same property. Have you ever been harassed(sp) by a GW? Be honest and tell us if you broke the law in some form or another. No one on AT will give you a hard time:wink:.


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## Tcounty (Aug 23, 2007)

Checked several times duck hunting, all by the feds. Never got a ticket, but they don't play at all.


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## ZA206 (Oct 28, 2004)

I've never been checked while deer or elk hunting, but EVERYTIME I EVER go duck hunting, the wardens are swarming all over the place! I get checked constantly when duck hunting.

I heard from my processor last year that they had setup a roadblock on the gravel road leading down to his place. When I called in to check to make sure to see if they had room in teh cooler for my buck, they gave me the heads up! :thumb: Very classy!

-ZA


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## FL-HNT-N-FSH (Dec 4, 2004)

been checked several times but i always follow the law so i dont worry


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## Mikie Day (Oct 21, 2002)

we were checked one time elk hunting

checked the weight of our arrows 
checked the letoff of our bows

rubber glove all the way but they were very nice to deal with during the whole ordeal


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## thenson (Mar 23, 2004)

This is the truth; when I was young still living at home, I got checked one evening by a DNR officer named Abe Lincoln... he knew my dad and just gave me a warning. I was a bit late coming out of the woods, my bow was still strung and I didn't have my license posted on my back.

thenson


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## cameron (Sep 15, 2005)

Checked several times throughout the years. Fishing and hunting... Never any violations.:wink:


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## 48down (Jan 9, 2007)

I know there are a few bad apples in every barrel and I hear stories about some of the wardens, but All of the Game Wardens that I have had contact with have been good guys. I have been checked many times and wish they'd hang around the land that I hunt more often. Good to have them around.

We gave one of the wardens permission to use our property to put out one of those fake deer to catch people road hunting, but I don't think he has done it yet. They did catch 2 people shooting turkeys from the road on our property this spring. I hate poachers and trespassers !!


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## archv3 (Sep 6, 2006)

I guess Ill start it off. I have had one close call and have been checked once. The one time that I got checked was about four years ago when one of my friends and I got new fly fishing rods from Cabelas and we really did not know to much about it at all. We were going on a trout fishing trip in S.Missouri. We decided to go to this local pond by my house and tie on a piece of yarn and just practice casting into the water and get the roll down. Also, we did not have one hook on us. This game warden showed up and asked us for our fishing license. We both had them but not on us. He gave us a bunch of crap saying he was going to write us a warning for fishing w/o a license. I got really mad then. Somehow we talked are way out of a warning. He was kind of mean about the whole deal. Then last year during R**** season I killed a nice 8 pt. right before dark on Conservation ground. I was so excited that I totally forgot to put my tag on the deer. I was wheeling the deer to the parking lot when this guy started walking our way telling us we better make sure we have that deer tagged. I was like oh damn I forgot that process. So i put it on and sure enough when we got to the parking lot there was a game warden checking people. That would not have been a good deal If I did not have the animal tagged.


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## BigBucks125 (Jun 22, 2006)

I've been checked a couple times while turkey hunting... warden only checked for licenses.


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## Tax Lawyer (Feb 5, 2003)

I have never even seen one and I want to keep it that way.


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## SHEGGE (Jun 8, 2004)

I have been checked numerous times both hunting & fishing.
Also one of the qoutes I remember him saying is "No one has ever talked there way out of a ticket, but sure have talked there way into one".


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## Scablands (Jul 31, 2006)

I have been checked three times and two out of the three I had to ask the game wardens if they wanted to see my license and tag, maybe I have an honest face?:wink:


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## Hunterhunting (Sep 26, 2006)

Been checked 3-4 times this year, they only ask for licenses and check our broadheads. Last week some CO came into camp and search a group that was camping by us, I don't know what happen but they were there with state troopers and guns drawn, they search everything they had even their truck and trailers but they found nothing and left, scary. The Co's must of gotten a bogus tip from somebody.


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## Bobmuley (Jan 14, 2004)

Lots of times. No problems.

Now as a young kid we never got checked...and it was a good thing.:zip:


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## Sal Sorrento (Aug 20, 2007)

FL-HNT-N-FSH said:


> been checked several times but i always follow the law so i dont worry



I am with this guy. One time, when i was about 16, I was woodchuck hunting without my backtag on (NYS law to display in the middle of back). the warden drove up and searched my vehicle while i was in the field and waited for me to come out. he then asked me for my license, which i had, and gave me a "speakin' to" for about 10 minutes. then he complimented my gun and asked me questions about it because he loved it so much! It was not a bad experience at all and now I am REALLY careful to obey the law because these guys have a tough job enough. I don't need to make stupid misstakes like not weraing a backtag and wasting their time.


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## -bowfreak- (Oct 18, 2006)

I had a run in with a CO in KY a few years ago. The regs say that you don't have to physically tag a deer(you have to fill out your permit for any kill though) as long as it is in your posession. I had shot a doe and had it hanging in a tree by my buddies house. We took a ride on the ATV. When we came back the game wardens sped up to us like we were stealing. They jumped out and started asking us where our orange was? Neither of us were hunting and we didn't even have weapons. They gave us grief for about 20 minutes over that deer. They said it should have been tagged if it wasn't in our posession. I said it was in my posession? They said how can it be in your posession if you are over the hill on an ATV? I told him I didn't realize if I went into the house I would have to take it into the living room with me? Finally, they left but, not before they wrote me a warning? Just a couple of jerks. 

This is one of the reasons I am typically predjudiced against law enforcement types. In my experience whether it is a podunk city cop or whatever they tend to be chest pounders and are jerks. That type of guy rubs me the wrong way and gives me a negative outlook on the whole profession. It is sad that I feel this way but it is true.


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## Highball (Jul 17, 2007)

Been checked twice...never in the field. First time, we were shooting muskrats and turtles out of a neighbor's pond one a summer evening when we got to talking with them about other animals we'd done damage control on, including *****. I guess another neighbor overheard our conversation and within an hour, as we were standing in our garage talking...with our .22's sittin out, an agent pulls up in the driveway. We didn't have anything to hide so we walked out to chat with him and he asked why we had our rifles out and asked to check the back of our trucks and in our freezer. We told him we had been shooting snappers out of the pond and he was cool but said he recieved a report of someone in the area poaching *****. We all started laughing and asked why anyone would be shooting ***** in the middle of summer when they weren't worth anything at the time. He said after talking with us the first few minutes he knew the caller must've been wrong but had to check us out anyway. Needless to say, he didn't find anything!

The second time was during rifle season in November. My family all got together over at my uncle's shed to work up our deer meat and clear out the walk-in cooler. We were about half way through 6 deer when someone knocks on the shed door...odd, no one ever knocks! Someone answers the door and there's an agent standing there...HMMMMMMM, very odd??? He walks in on a bunch of people holding knives so I'm sure he's a little concerned. Tells us he got a report of a bunch of illegaly harvested deer at this location. EXTRODINARILY ODD!!! For one, these deer were all kept inside a walk-in cooler inside my uncle's shed and the only time anyone would've seen ANYTHING is when we had the big door open while were bringing deer in DAYS ago and hanging them to hose `em out. As soon as they were washed out they went, immediately, into the cooler. Two, we ALWAYS tag and report our deer. The only thing we can think of is someone we knew was screwing with us OR one of the nosy neighbors walked into the shed one day(we don't lock it incase someone needs to bring in a deer) and peeked in the cooler. They probably didn't like the fact that we were killing deer and figured since we were "hiding them in a cooler inside a closed shed we must be doing something illegal. It was just odd that the agent showed up the night we were all there to work up the meat and we never once had the door open that night so anyone could see what was going on. The officer was really cool, though, and sat down and chatted with us for about a half hour complaining about how ******s interrupt his evening off duty with his girlfriend to make him respond to calls like the one he had received on us.

Other than that...never been checked


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## nebling (Jan 7, 2007)

Like the others. I've been checked several times while Duck Hunting.

I was stopped one time about 8-9years ago. My brother and I had just got in the truck one morning after leaving our stands (bowhunting). It was opening day of Rabbit season and just as we pulled out and put the truck in drive, the Game Warden pulled up beside us on the road looking down into our truck (we had an S10 and he was in a 4x4). He asked what we were hunting and we told him we were bowhunting and didn't have any luck. He said he was looking for rabbit hunters, but since we were stopped wanted to see our licenses. OH CRAP! I had a firearm in my pocket next to my wallet! (too many predators in that area) I slowly reached in to get my license, the game warden checked it all out and we were on our way!

That was kinda scary for me. I never carried a gun with me after that!

OK, now call me a criminal.


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## MN Bow Hunter (Jan 2, 2007)

Been checked once while upland bird hunting, no big deal, just wanted to see licenses/stamps and check our posession. I actually liked being stopped and having a chance to shoot the breeze with the CO.


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## Sleazy_E (Mar 3, 2006)

I have never been checked for either hunting or fishing... and probably never will unless I get pulled over by one on my way to the check in station..... I only hunt and fish private land (most of it my family owns) and have never even seen a GW in the area. As a general rule.. unless there are complaints around about you or your hunting practices the GW's stay off private land and leave ya be. That being said... if I ever was to be checked I would be fine... because there is no way I am going to lose my hunting privileges just to save $24.... not worth it to me.

And Neb... around here you would not be a criminal for having a personal carry.... it is legal to carry here during bow season assuming you have a concealed weapon or personal protection permit.


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## Trauma (Jun 19, 2006)

I've been checked several times while duck hunting, got one ticket for shooting 3 minutes after legal shooting light. No excuses, my mistake for cutting it close and not knowing EXACTLY when sunset was. One time in New Hampshire, I was checked three times on the same day, by the same game warden on the same river while trout fishing. Didn't bother me because I wasn't doing anything wrong but I did wonder if I looked suspicious or something. The biggest boneheads I ever met were these park rangers in the Poconos along the Delaware River. I took two of my Marine buddies home with me on a long weekend (memorial day) so we could get some relaxation, camping, and fishing. I took them back to a place on the river where I used to go as a kid with my family. I drove my pickup back some old roads best I could remember and found a place right on the river where we could set up a tent and have access right on the water. Bought some firewood at the local Wal-Mart in town on the way in when we got our fishing liscenses and picked up some beer, burgers, brats,etc. Built a fire with the wood we bought and some dead stuff nearby in an already established pit with a circle of rocks and everything. Stayed up the first night having a good time catching channel cats and just sitting around the fire but early that morning a storm rolled in and crashed our party. We hunkered down in the tent for a few hours and fell asleep. We were awakened by these two bozos who were accusing us of cutting down trees and "damaging the forest" to make our fire and "littering". They also went on and on about us not being authorized to camp there and that we must have been up to no good. I tried to explain that we weren't bothering anyone, bought our firewood in town and that why would we try to use "green" wood for our fire? Also told them that the only people we saw were a group in canoes and two ladies in kayaks. Showed them the big lawn and garden trash bag that was attached to the bumper of my truck with all of our trash in it except what we were still using but they didn't want to hear any of it. When asked for ID, we showed them our military ID's and this seemed to disturb them even more. At this point they start writing each one of us a citation for 50.00 for some crap. I made a comment that it's kind of funny how we can go to some third world country and pitch a shelter half and eat MRE's and nobody says anything but we can't come home and pitch a tent on public land and cook some burgers without somebody throwing a fit! I'll never forget those jerks and how they ruined our weekend of relaxation. Those were some pretty expensive catfish and burgers.


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## goatranch (Sep 11, 2004)

The only time I ever got checked was a few years ago when a game officer I was meeting on our county road held out his hand to get my attention. I stopped and realized my rifle was still loaded because I just got out of the woods and was going to another spot. He asked to see my license. I showed it to him...he asked how the hunting was going. I figured if he asked to see my weapon, I would just pay the ticket if he issued one. He didn't and I was on my way shortly. Young guy, very mannerly. :embara:


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## BigDeer (Aug 9, 2005)

Been check several times fishing/running trot lines,,no problems.

Did get checked one time goose hunting north of Smithville Mo. He came walking to our blind, Glock in hand, pointed to the ground, and asked us to unload and leave the chamber open. Checking our tags and to make sure we didn't have the plug out and were shooting legal load..He was cool though. I was about 12 then, so I remember it vividly because he had his weapon drawn.

Sean


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## jcsanders79-xt (Aug 28, 2007)

Get checked all the time when duck hunting, some while dove hunting and few times while deer hunting. 
I have gotten a warning for not properly signing my duck stamp. 

Two years ago I got a ticket for lead shot. Before I get arrested by the ethics police I didn't intentionally do it. My grandpaw gave me a bunch of ammo a while back and it was unboxed but said waterfowl load on it. I didn't think about lead shot, steel shot has been required since I have hunted ducks. Evedently the wardens had been by our blind when we were not there and could tell it was lead shot by the wad. They hid in the woods the next day and came busting out as we pulled up, I had two lead shells and explained the story and the older GW was ready to give me a warning but the rookie couldn't do it, he needed to give me the ticket, $150 later I was hunting again. The stupid part is that they told me if I found any more lead shells to throw them in the lake so I wouldn't get another ticket.

Three years ago I got a ticket for no life jacket while deer hunting. I had a coast gaurd approved thow device but no "wearable" floatation device. I had one the day before I suppose it blew out during transport:embara:. GW gave me an el-cheapo jacket and I now get to joke about my $150 life jacket


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## bucksdown4ever (May 18, 2006)

I have got checked twice, once duck hunting and the other Fishing in Alaska!

Duck hunting was interesting! On the very first shot my shotgun jammed and i couldn't unload it! When the game warden checked it, for plug, told him what shells i was using, showed him, and told him if he could get it unjammed to check it he could have it!!!!! We shot our limit that day, i shot mine 6 after my buddy got done! 

Question?????? Is it legal/illegal to put your back tag on the middle of your backpack?????? If it is on your back no one can see it!!!!!! Anyone got an answer


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## wbygunner (Jun 30, 2007)

*Last week...*

I was checked last week in Wyoming. I was on private/public land (Game Management Unit), glassing antelope when a game warden pulled up behind my truck. He asked if I was hunting with the Shaffers, I stated no, and handed him the windshield pass giving me permission to be on the GMU. He said I was 10 miles from where I was supposed to be, and if Shaffer's guides caught me, I'd be looking at a $210.00 ticket. I explained that I thought I knew the correct boundries and wasn't trying to cause any problems. He told me to get a better map or learn how to read the one I had. He then directed me to follow him, and he would take me to a gate to exit the property, which would lead me on about a 30 mile trip to get around the private ground, to the GMU I was "authorized" to be on. As I sat behind him at the gate, he exited the vehicle and told me to get out. Now I'm getting worried, as he had his old six shooter strung across his hip like John Wayne. Then he said I owe you an apology and that he was unaware that the boundaries had changed and there was "new" land enrolled in the GMU for 2007. Well I went about my business, though I hunted this same GMU two years earlier and new the boundaries had not changed. Two years ago I did get it wrong, the exit number off the highway was printed wrong on the map provided by Fish and Game. The ranch manager saw me the day before the season scouting and said he was too busy running cattle to correct my mistake but that the maps were misprinted. He caught up with me opening morning, corrected my bearings and gave me permission to cut across his ranch during my hunt to get me on the backside of the GMU. There's the good and the bad of it!


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## nebling (Jan 7, 2007)

Sleazy_E said:


> And Neb... around here you would not be a criminal for having a personal carry.... it is legal to carry here during bow season assuming you have a concealed weapon or personal protection permit.



Ohio didn't have that law 9 years ago, but I felt better carrying it with me, as the woods had a lot of yotes. Lesson learned for me though. Never did it again. I've still got a clean record!:wink: And want to keep it that way.


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## nebling (Jan 7, 2007)

I'm amazed how many people are viewing this thread!!! (54)

Makes me wonder............


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## Matq2gs (Jan 7, 2005)

I have been checked several times while dove hunting and duck hunting with no problem. The one time I was deer hunting I had on insulated coveralls and had moved to the otherside of the farm. Now I am wearing my orange as required. It was hot out and when I got in my box stand with burlap all the way around it. When you sat in the chair your head was the only thing above the burlap. I unzipped my coveralls and took the top part off my shoulders and took off my hat as I was sweating my butt off. Well 2 wardens pop around the corner of the field and walk up to my stand. They told me to come on down. I stood up and put my arms in the coveralls and pulled them up on my shoulders and put on my hat unloaded my gun and got down. Checked my gun then wrote me a ticket for not having my orange on. I found out later they checked the neighbor and he had his insulated orange jacket hanging alongside of him in the tree and didn't give him a ticket. I knew one of the wardens and the senior one somewhat. I was nice but that didn't matter.


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## nebling (Jan 7, 2007)

I'd like to see if there are any Game Wardens on here that could tell us some great stories on some guys they've stopped!

I bet the stories would be different from the guys that got busted!:zip:


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## dogg3250 (Aug 16, 2006)

My grandfather and I got checked twice in one day by the same warden while goose hunting. I have been checked a half dozen times while fishing.


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## Sleazy_E (Mar 3, 2006)

nebling said:


> I'd like to see if there are any Game Wardens on here that could tell us some great stories on some guys they've stopped!
> 
> I bet the stories would be different from the guys that got busted!:zip:


My grandpa lived in this area his whole life.... he told me about how for years when he was younger GW's would "come up missing" during hunting season.... He was friends with one of the GW's (one that did not come up missing) and said the GW told him about how there were just certain people you did not stop.... said he stopped a group of guys once and asked for their license and they all raised their guns on him and told him to get lost cause they were on their land and no one was gonna tell them what to do on their own land.... I think that is kinda what started the whole staying off private land unless there is a complaint deal.


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## Chesta22 (Aug 21, 2007)

I've had numerous experiences with game wardens over the years, most of them were routine checks and we went on our way. There is one that sticks out in my mind as the wardens being total jerks. It happened about 8 years ago, as me and two of my buddies were hunting some grove land my buddy's family owned. We were camping at another grove site just down the road from the grove we were hunting. We came out of the hunting site at dark the first night, and drove back to our camp, to hang the three bucks we had killed. About midnight we heard some noise up by the front gate of the property, and then hear a vehicle slowly coming down the road with no lights on. As the vehicle pulls up, I stepped out of the tent and shined them with my maglight while my buddy came out of the tent with his shotgun. We didn't know it was a game warden at the time, as soon as, we saw it was a game warden I turned the light off and my buddy put his shotgun back in the tent. I guessed the game wardens didn't like our actions, and they immediately hit us with the spot light and came out of their truck with guns drawn. 

We were on private land, behind a locked gate, and no one other than us had permission to be out there, so we had no idea who would be breaking into the property at midnight and driving around with their lights off. Once we explained our situation to the wardens, they calmed down a little, and then proceeded to give us the Super Jeopardy questioning round on who, what, when, where, do we know this rule and that rule, etc... They accused us of night hunting and poaching some nearby land, and then asked if we had killed anything. We told them about our three bucks from that afternoon, and they had us drive down the road a little ways to the barn we hung them in. After searching our trucks, tool boxes, tent, barn, and the surrounding area, they left us with a verbal warning accusing us again of night hunting and poaching, and said they would be keeping an eye on us. The next day we went hunting again in the grove down the road with my buddy's uncle, and on are way out we got a surprise. The same two game wardens from the night before come walking out of the woods in front of us, and then 4 other game wardens come out of the woods behind us and start ordering us to get out of the vehicle and show them our hands. They then proceed to thoroughly search our trucks once again, have us drive them back to our camp site and search the entire camp site again, and then check the deer hanging barn again.

After explaining to them that we had done nothing wrong yet again, and that they were on the verge of harrassment, they let us go. I am in the camp of "if an officer of the law tells you to do something, shut your mouth and do it" but, this situation was out of control. My buddies uncle asked for the two harrassing officers names and badge numbers, and gave their commanding officer a call. He said it wasn't the first complaint he had recieved on those two, and that he would take care of it. My buddy and his family never had any other problems with wardens that I know of, after that day.


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## Skeptic (Dec 11, 2005)

I've never been checked hunting or fishing. Did have one stop by to chat a couple years ago as I was exciting the woods from Turkey Hunting. He just asked if I had any luck and went on about his business.


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## tjsnipehunter (Jul 17, 2005)

I was just checked while duck hunting this past weekend. Nice enough guy, he just checked licenses and for plugs. No problems with the 5 of us and he was on his way in 10 minutes.

Only once have I been checked where I felt they had their minds made up that something had to be wrong. Turned out someone had given them an erroneous tip and once they were satisfied nothing was up they were very friendly. Can't blame them for that when they had what they thought was a good tip.

Tim


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## buckmark23 (Jul 1, 2006)

Trauma said:


> I've been checked several times while duck hunting, got one ticket for shooting 3 minutes after legal shooting light. No excuses, my mistake for cutting it close and not knowing EXACTLY when sunset was. One time in New Hampshire, I was checked three times on the same day, by the same game warden on the same river while trout fishing. Didn't bother me because I wasn't doing anything wrong but I did wonder if I looked suspicious or something. The biggest boneheads I ever met were these park rangers in the Poconos along the Delaware River. I took two of my Marine buddies home with me on a long weekend (memorial day) so we could get some relaxation, camping, and fishing. I took them back to a place on the river where I used to go as a kid with my family. I drove my pickup back some old roads best I could remember and found a place right on the river where we could set up a tent and have access right on the water. Bought some firewood at the local Wal-Mart in town on the way in when we got our fishing liscenses and picked up some beer, burgers, brats,etc. Built a fire with the wood we bought and some dead stuff nearby in an already established pit with a circle of rocks and everything. Stayed up the first night having a good time catching channel cats and just sitting around the fire but early that morning a storm rolled in and crashed our party. We hunkered down in the tent for a few hours and fell asleep. We were awakened by these two bozos who were accusing us of cutting down trees and "damaging the forest" to make our fire and "littering". They also went on and on about us not being authorized to camp there and that we must have been up to no good. I tried to explain that we weren't bothering anyone, bought our firewood in town and that why would we try to use "green" wood for our fire? Also told them that the only people we saw were a group in canoes and two ladies in kayaks. Showed them the big lawn and garden trash bag that was attached to the bumper of my truck with all of our trash in it except what we were still using but they didn't want to hear any of it. When asked for ID, we showed them our military ID's and this seemed to disturb them even more. At this point they start writing each one of us a citation for 50.00 for some crap. I made a comment that it's kind of funny how we can go to some third world country and pitch a shelter half and eat MRE's and nobody says anything but we can't come home and pitch a tent on public land and cook some burgers without somebody throwing a fit! I'll never forget those jerks and how they ruined our weekend of relaxation. Those were some pretty expensive catfish and burgers.


Carma or Karma, how ever it's spelled, will be hell on those two you know whats. Thanks for serving our country and sorry for that stupid ordeal.


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## ciscokid (Apr 26, 2006)

First year of my bow hunting adventure i was ticketed because i didn't have a license to shoot my bow. 

Why is it that i have to buy a license to shoot a "stick with a string" , but i don't need one to shoot a rifle?


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## cptleo1 (May 30, 2007)

30 years been checked once


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## Hickory Creek Stalker (Aug 16, 2004)

ciscokid said:


> First year of my bow hunting adventure i was ticketed because i didn't have a license to shoot my bow.
> 
> Why is it that i have to buy a license to shoot a "stick with a string" , but i don't need one to shoot a rifle?


WHAT !!!!!!
YOU *DO* NEED A LICENSE TO SHOOT YOUR RIFLE FOO!!!!


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## Bottmhtr (Feb 19, 2004)

I have been checked while fishing, boating, dove, deer, and numerous times duck hunting. Received a few verbal warnings for not having a t crossed or an i dotted. Nothing major. Most of our wardens around here are o.k. and don't go out of their way to cause problems. We do have one that can be a little overzealous at times but has always been o.k. with me. I did receive a ticket one time while pontooning because did not have a back runnig light at night. They escorted me to my boat stall and gave me a 75 doller ticket. I deserved that one. It wasover 4th of July and lot of boats on water. that was pretty stupid after I thought about it.


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## rodney482 (Aug 31, 2004)

I've been checked waterfowl hunting and quail hunting.

I have also done some checking and some catching.


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## dtgiacomini (Mar 15, 2007)

Well I have been busted by a conservation officer, but it was before I started hunting. We were 19 and it was our senior year of highschool and went out to a state park to go hiking and throw back a few. Well when we got back to our cars someone had left a beer can on the passanger seat(we were not littering) and they asked to see our ID's. That was about $340 that I didnt need to spend on a drinking ticket. But as far as hunting, I have not even seen them.


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## mozy (Sep 21, 2006)

More than I care to admit. Once while goose hunting-thougt we were baiting. Once while driving around after duck hunting, forgot to get my stamps before opening morning. Another time for fishing in the beginning of April without a license. And the last two times were for driving atv on the side of the road. Moral of the story, I need to read the regulations book.


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## shell waster (Jun 19, 2007)

Ontario CO's take the cake for jerks. They are never friendly. They set up checks at the border just to delay you for 1-2 hours. I have been checked 3 times in MI and very pleasant. I have been checked 3 times in Ont., the first thing the CO does is interview us seperatley then asks for licences, happened all three times. All three times I was asked, "you are not lying, cause I will find out". It must be scripted what they say. It really hurts tourism in Ontario,


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## venisonman (Apr 9, 2004)

Been fishing for 38 years and hunting for 25 years. 

Stopped once fishing as a kid , checked our licenses, no problem.
Stopped 2nd time, fishing with MY kids many years later, no problem for us. Busted the guy next to us with no license.
The 3rd time while fishing, I was with my 12 year old son and called the ECO's on some guys keeping fish out of season. 

Stopped my 1st year hunting, going from one spot to another, checked guns and tags, no problem for me, one guy in the cab of the truck had a loaded gun. Delayed our hunt for a little and his for alot!
Stopped my 3rd year of hunting, by myself, actually deep in the woods! Checked tags and barrel length, no problem.
Stopped twice during opening weekend of bow, my 22nd year of hunting. (once on our private property and once on adjacent Federal land), no problem. Turns out they were looking for someone cutting brush and trees for blinds on Federal land. They were watching our "bandit" neighbor hard and thought I was with him. Saw them come back opening day of shotgun, with 4 wheelers, 4 wheel drives and a helicopter! Busted the bandit and his party for the cuttings on Federal land, baiting on his property and loaded guns on a 4 wheeler.


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## Tribute2007 (Jan 30, 2007)

I've seen a couple here and there but never been checked. I really dont have anything to worry about except not leaving the woods at the right times. Heck if you listened to the times they had set for legal shooting hours you would miss Prime Time. But once it gets dark enough that I can't see my pins anymore then its time to go...


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## Crainkbait (May 14, 2007)

Usually get checked a couple times each year. Never had a problem, they are usually pretty nice just want to do there job and move on the the next hunter/fisherman. I do however know guys that have been cited for numerous violations and they usually stem from getting lippy with the warden. As soon as you start being a smart @#%$ they quit messing around and usually start writing.


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## ats (Jul 20, 2007)

had a loaded gun in my truck on a WMA.

the game warden asked me "have you ever been arrested on a wma before?"

I told him no, and he said "well today is your lucky day!" 

Apparently they call giving you a ticket arresting you.


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## DBuck (Oct 26, 2006)

*wardens*

we all need to remember that they have a job to do and are human like the rest of us. The real problem is that when they make a contact out in the field there is a really good chance the contact is carrying a gun. i can not blame them for being super cautious.


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## One eye (Jun 22, 2003)

buckmark23 said:


> I have never been checked by a game warde/CO but I wanted to know if any of you have been. A really good friend was telling me that he was check 3 times in one weekend while hunting the same property. Have you ever been harassed(sp) by a GW? Be honest and tell us if you broke the law in some form or another. No one on AT will give you a hard time:wink:.


Harrassed??? How is doing their job harrassment?

I wish they would check us more often. I was checked last year for the first time while bowhunting, and he apologized for disrupting my hunt. I told him that there was no reason to apologize and that I was glad that he was out there.

Dan


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## buckmark23 (Jul 1, 2006)

I have been checked twice while duck hunting.
Never been checked while deer hunting.
Here's a story that happened in our camp:

We had a "Crack Head" that used to hunt in our club but not anymore. His dad owned the land that our camps are on(about 5 camps)so he felt he could still come around. The crack head decides he wants to add members to our lease in Decemberfor $500 each and he would put them on some deer! He sell memberships to some guys and takes them out on the lease during the week. Some one called the GW and he was ready for them. They busted everyone. No license on any of them, hunting on private property, loaded weapons, poaching etc... 
What's the lesson here..........Don't hunt with Crack Heads:wink:!


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## old Graybeard (Nov 3, 2005)

Have gone through some mandatory checks out of state and have been checked in state a couple of times. Once they found everything was in order they politely said good luck.


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## 12ozd (Jan 25, 2007)

Never been checked, honestly don't remember ever seeing one.(ever)

Have buddies that have though


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## alloutdoors (Mar 3, 2004)

I've been checked a couple of times while duck hunting and once while fishing. I was however harassed badly one time after some dirt bag anti called in a false report that we had been shooting before legal hours. The state police even called my house and said that I was "in the woods hiding" from one of their officers. (My truck was parked at a fishing access site where we had put in the canoe to duck hunt the river, we were about half a mile away at the time with no idea there was a trooper back at the parking area. )

When the ECO got there it was clear his mind was made up and we were dirty lying poachers. Thankfully there were two other hunters that had gotten there about the same time we did and confirmed our story completely. The best part was that the other two guys had a previous encounter with the anti that had called us in. Even though the ECO wouldn't say who the caller was they pointed right at his house and used some choice words in describing the guy. At that point the ECO realized what was going on and his attitude completely changed.

I don't know what would have happened if it hadn't been for the other two hunters. The loser that made the false report happens to be retired state police. It would have been our word against his.


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## mattawamkeag (Jan 16, 2007)

Been checked several times while bird hunting and ice fishing. Never during bow or gun season. One violation 10 yerars ago, the "camp" got a citation for not checking an overnight cusk line every hour like we were supposed to. Game Warden knocked on the camp door at 5a.m. and said he had been sitting out there on the ice for over an hour and we never checked the line. The poor ******* that opened the door got the ticket, $125.00, and we all chipped in because it was damn cold and none of us had wanted to climb out of a nice warm bunk to crawl out on the ice to check a frozen hole. We don't set lines we can't check anymore.


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## ownmorebone181 (Apr 4, 2007)

Once i was in a treestand sitting watching over a big cut field, and a truck enters the field and drives around the perimeter, i put my binos on him and sure enough, it is the stupid game warden. I then watch him pull into my grandparents driveway. So at this time i am pissed off, so i climb down to go talk to him. I ask him what the hell he is doing, and that he just ruined my night. He reply's, i thought i could find away around your fence to the other property. Then goes on to give me crap about not having an orange hat on. I took the orange hat off because it was a beenie and i didnt feel like walking with it on all the way back. It was warm. So i put it in my pocket. Needless to say, this guy is clueless when it comes to hunting. I wont say names, but his first name is steve, and his last name is lynn. From Missouri


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## buckmark23 (Jul 1, 2006)

One eye said:


> Harrassed??? How is doing their job harrassment?
> 
> I wish they would check us more often. I was checked last year for the first time while bowhunting, and he apologized for disrupting my hunt. I told him that there was no reason to apologize and that I was glad that he was out there.
> 
> Dan


I'll give you more of the story. My friend walks out to hunt a stand in the back of the property, about 80 acres. Here the GW comes around 8:00 a.m. He checks everything and was very nice and went about his business. In the middle of the day, 2 GW stop by the camp and talk to him. He tells them he is going to the same stand in the evening. Around 4:30 p.m. 2 GW are walking down the trail to check him. The same two that he just spoke with and the same one from the morning hunt! They ask him for his licese and check him like they never met him. He is pissed but never lost his cool. The next morning in the same stand the smae 2 GW come walking down the trail and ask him for his license. He had had it and threatened to file charges against them. Yes, I call this harrassment(sp).


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## scrapejuice (Dec 1, 2003)

took my life jackets out of my boat one day when I cleaned it out and washed it. Went fishing that evening by myself. That night I was the only one on the water about 11:00 pm. CO checked me for this, that, and the other. Wrote me a citation for not having my lifejacket. cost me $195. I should have had it, but that seems like a little too much!! BTW he was a P#$%% on top of all that.


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## buckmark23 (Jul 1, 2006)

61 people viewing, WOW!!!


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## Crayfish (May 11, 2004)

Been checked several times ... mostly while duck hunting or fishing. Most checks have been routine and the warden was polite. One check by a female warden while duck hunting stands out. I was probably 14 or 15, hunting with my Dad. The woman stopped us in our boat while heading back to the launch. When she checked my gun for a plug, she said "I can almost fit 3 shells in your magazine" and started getting snotty about my plug being too short. My Dad politely mentioned that "almost" still doesn't allow more than 2 shells in the magazine and she finally dropped it. 

Another time we got checked at the boat launch after duck hunting. Dad and I had both shot our limit, then on the way out (we had to walk across a thin section of land to get to the boat) our dog found a cripple that was still alive, but with broken wings. We dispatched it and kept it. When we got checked, we pulled out the ducks we had shot and then got out the "extra" duck and said, "That one's his" ... pointing to the dog. They were fine with it and let us go! You just never know. Sometimes they can be surprisingly understanding!

... Crayfish


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## Trauma (Jun 19, 2006)

buckmark23 said:


> Carma or Karma, how ever it's spelled, will be hell on those two you know whats. Thanks for serving our country and sorry for that stupid ordeal.


Thanks. I'm out now and I miss it every day. I have a lot of respect for the law and those who have to enforce it. However, I do not have ANY tolerance for those who would like to abuse their position and do not have appreciation for people who are merely trying to enjoy their much needed time off. You're right though, they will get theirs in time if they haven't already.


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## scott_r (Jan 31, 2006)

I got pulled over yesterday while muzzleloading but the guy was very proffesional, did his job, was pleasant and we were on our way.
Some of them are real dinks but then again so can alot of hunters, I don't let the ones with attitude ruin my hunting trips that Ive been waiting a year for:wink:


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## Unkljohn (Sep 16, 2005)

I've only been checked one time while deer hunting. They had a road block set up and were just checking licenses. 
I've been checked numerous times while duck hunting, almost allways by the federal guys. They are very serious and thorough. I went through a road block a few years ago, they asked to see my license and stamps, they asked to see my gun, finally they asked me if I had any ducks. I said "Yes sire, I have a limit, 4 mallards and 2 gadwalls". They asked to see them. It was the last day of the season, so I had loaded ALL of my decoys, 3 bags of them, and all the rest of my stuff that had accumulated over the course of the season at the camp on top of everything else in my layout boat. I said "OK, let me get them out of my boat" I finally found them and handed them to the officers. They remarked that a couple of them were "shot up" pretty badly. I said "Well, that's what happens when they try to land in my decoys" I guess they thought that was a smart azz thing to say, because they then made me unload everything out of my boat and the back of my truck, and even the tool box! So they could "make sure I didn't have anymore ducks." This whole process took nearly an hour, after which they said "OK, have a safe trip home". They didn't ticket me for anything but they certainly harrassed me as much as they possibly could have.


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## bh10 (Jun 2, 2007)

just ducking and quite a bit to


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## kawie23 (Sep 28, 2004)

The only time I have ever seen a CO was after a morning in the stand. My buddy and I were eating lunch and having a beer by a little fire. He drove up and asked if we had seen anything, told us to make sure we put our fire out well, and informed us that there were a couple does standing off the road/trail 50 yards down from us. Never asked for a license or anything. Nice guy, but I almost wish he would have checked for our licenses.


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## LongTime (Feb 17, 2005)

Iam a retired law enforcement 25 years service. I do not trust anyone with a badge. If you ever get stopped for anything keep your mouth shut and ask for a lawyer. Just my .02


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## 350-P&Ybull (Mar 6, 2005)

*every year.*

They come through my camp all of the time. I work with them so I exspect it.


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## Dredly (May 10, 2005)

I got "spoken to" by a game warden at a public range. Basically walked right up to me while I'm shooting and stood behind me while I shot off a few rounds, I reloaded and he stood beside me... I kindly advised him he should probably move as SKS tosses hot cases right where he was... he moved

He was making sure I wasn't putting more then 3 rounds at a time in my gun and the procceded to suggest I remove the folding stock from my SKS... I told him it was legal and he left me alone... nice enough guy

I haven't gotten stopped in the woods yet, I'll probably get a ticket, I don't have my license on my back, its on my pack because I change jackets and shirts way to often and I'll forget it... ehh well when it happens it happens


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## bubba101st (Feb 14, 2006)

I have been checked a number of times while hunting and fishing. When i was in high school a friend of mine got a ticket for carrying a fishing pole down the trail and she didnt have a fishing listens, a few weeks later I got a ticket for fishing closed waters (my fly line was passing the cutoff point in the river, I paid the $19.00 and told the judge that IMHO it was BS). Most of the GW's I come across are pretty cool. Last year while hunting with me son they where putting grouse cutouts on the side of the roads trying to bust people shooting from thier cars. I guess it keeps the honest people honest. This year my buddy said that one stoped at camp right about the time I shot my deer. He just asked how everything was going and took off. I passed himeon the road and he asked me how it was going and of course I was totly stoked after my first bow kill. He congrat. me and asked to see the arrow that I shot it with. I had no problem with it. HE did check my papers and asked when I was going to try to recover the animal. I told him that I was on my way to get tracking help and heading back down. He stopped by the next morning and took a look at the doe. I took it as being more course than anything. He did take a tooth for aging the deer and took off. Nice guy.


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## BIGONESLURK (Sep 18, 2007)

i had a run in with one while working. Our neighbor had a small 8 pt try to jump her fence and got impaled and died. She asked us to remove it for her and we did it no problem. I decided to cut the antlers off well that was my mistake. Two days later the game warden shows up and starts asking questions and she wants to no where the antlers are i say i have them in my truck well she needs them and she is writing us a ticket for illegal possesion of deer parts i think it was 154$ the only thing she did that was nice was write it against the company instead of my hunting liscence. Lesson learned no good deed goes unpunished


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## Dredly (May 10, 2005)

Trauma said:


> I've been checked several times while duck hunting, got one ticket for shooting 3 minutes after legal shooting light. No excuses, my mistake for cutting it close and not knowing EXACTLY when sunset was. One time in New Hampshire, I was checked three times on the same day, by the same game warden on the same river while trout fishing. Didn't bother me because I wasn't doing anything wrong but I did wonder if I looked suspicious or something. The biggest boneheads I ever met were these park rangers in the Poconos along the Delaware River. I took two of my Marine buddies home with me on a long weekend (memorial day) so we could get some relaxation, camping, and fishing. I took them back to a place on the river where I used to go as a kid with my family. I drove my pickup back some old roads best I could remember and found a place right on the river where we could set up a tent and have access right on the water. Bought some firewood at the local Wal-Mart in town on the way in when we got our fishing liscenses and picked up some beer, burgers, brats,etc. Built a fire with the wood we bought and some dead stuff nearby in an already established pit with a circle of rocks and everything. Stayed up the first night having a good time catching channel cats and just sitting around the fire but early that morning a storm rolled in and crashed our party. We hunkered down in the tent for a few hours and fell asleep. We were awakened by these two bozos who were accusing us of cutting down trees and "damaging the forest" to make our fire and "littering". They also went on and on about us not being authorized to camp there and that we must have been up to no good. I tried to explain that we weren't bothering anyone, bought our firewood in town and that why would we try to use "green" wood for our fire? Also told them that the only people we saw were a group in canoes and two ladies in kayaks. Showed them the big lawn and garden trash bag that was attached to the bumper of my truck with all of our trash in it except what we were still using but they didn't want to hear any of it. When asked for ID, we showed them our military ID's and this seemed to disturb them even more. At this point they start writing each one of us a citation for 50.00 for some crap. I made a comment that it's kind of funny how we can go to some third world country and pitch a shelter half and eat MRE's and nobody says anything but we can't come home and pitch a tent on public land and cook some burgers without somebody throwing a fit! I'll never forget those jerks and how they ruined our weekend of relaxation. Those were some pretty expensive catfish and burgers.



Hahah yeah thats a GREAT area for a********* to play, they have a highway right through the middle that they STRICTLY enforce for tickets, they have wardens all over the place all the time and are just generally unpleasent. Its because of the amount of "tourism" (aka: drug trade) that runs through that area. I can't really blame them... I would never want to work that part of the state


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## Dredly (May 10, 2005)

Something I've always wondered... if the property is privately owned why are they allowed to walk on or drive across it without a warrant? Investigating a call by the landowner would be enough but investigating a complaint from some random person shouldn't be enough for the Wardens to come onto your property...


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## Highball (Jul 17, 2007)

I forgot...I did get checked one time duck hunting coming out of pool at a conservation area. We shot the p!ss out of a bunch of ducks on a day when no one else was shooting and they wanted to make sure we were on the up and up. We could see the trucks from where we were hunting and we watched him pull up but at least he waited til after we got back and didn't come out and screw up the hunt.

I've found most of these guys have a job to do first and foremost and just want to chat afterwards because they wish they were out there hunting too.


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## nogood_rounder (Nov 29, 2005)

IDFG sets up roadblocks on major highways and roads in and out of mountains. They have a line for successful and unsuccessful hunters and fishermen. If you blow by the checkpoint without stopping - look out - state troopers are waiting to pull you over and write you a ticket, then bust you for whatever F&G violations you were trying to avoid getting busted for. No joke.


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## nogood_rounder (Nov 29, 2005)

Dredly said:


> Something I've always wondered... if the property is privately owned why are they allowed to walk on or drive across it without a warrant? Investigating a call by the landowner would be enough but investigating a complaint from some random person shouldn't be enough for the Wardens to come onto your property...


Yup. The warrant is only needed to search you're home. In most states rural property does not require a warrant to search. they don't even need probable cause to tresspass.


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## Highball (Jul 17, 2007)

Dredly said:


> Something I've always wondered... if the property is privately owned why are they allowed to walk on or drive across it without a warrant? Investigating a call by the landowner would be enough but investigating a complaint from some random person shouldn't be enough for the Wardens to come onto your property...


I've been told that in MO if the gate is open they can come onto your property. If the gate is closed they'd need your permission or a warrant.


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## spoco57 (Aug 31, 2005)

Only been checked once or twice while fishing. 

Had a friend who happened into the local CO with a stringer of smallies. Turned out that one of the fish was 1/2 inch shy of legal. It was definitely my friend's mistake, (though he'd half gutted the fish trying to retrieve the hook and didn't want to waste it). Paid a hefty fine and lost his license for a year. The CO never let him live it down. Every deer he got was given the fine-tooth comb treatment, and the CO always told him he thought he was shooting the archery deer with a rifle and then running a broadhead through the entry/exit wounds channels. 

Served to teach me a good lesson though. Don't try to stretch, bend, or slide past the rules. Know'em and live by 'em or suffer the loss of your reputation.


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## nebling (Jan 7, 2007)

nogood_rounder said:


> Yup. The warrant is only needed to search you're home. In most states rural property does not require a warrant to search. they don't even need probable cause to tresspass.


Yep! Game wardens have more control and power than most people know!

I respect them for the most part. They have a job to do, and it can be pretty serious because most of the people they have to check are carrying a loaded firearm!

I could tell a story about a local Game Warden that totally abuse his power....and could have been arrested for something he did to my brother and I, but I don't know if we could have proved what he did to the judge.

Luckily, he's no longer the Game Warden around here.


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## Brett K (Jan 9, 2007)

I had two incidents, but none of them while hunting. I had one knock on my car window while I was "busy" with a girlfriend:wink: Apparently I was blocking a yellow access gate to game lands @ 11pm. I didn't notice as I had other things on my mind:embara: He was good about it. As soon as I rolled down the window, he pointed at the gate and asked if we would move the vehicle over a few feet.

I had another encounter when I took my dog to a local lake and was letting my weimaraner retreive sticks from the water. He told me there were specific dates where this was allowed. I apologized, he gave my dog a pat on the head, and went on his way. 

Other than that, I have never even seen a GW in the woods during hunting season. I have talked to a bunch at the local gas stations just to be friendly.


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## dave E (Sep 11, 2007)

been checked several times only to see a license and a friendly chat. Never done anything wrong to be stopped by a warden.


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## Trauma (Jun 19, 2006)

Dredly said:


> Hahah yeah thats a GREAT area for a********* to play, they have a highway right through the middle that they STRICTLY enforce for tickets, they have wardens all over the place all the time and are just generally unpleasent. Its because of the amount of "tourism" (aka: drug trade) that runs through that area. I can't really blame them... I would never want to work that part of the state


Yeah, I could see it if they asked for ID's and we couldn't provide any OR if all three of us didn't have military ID's, OR if any one of us didn't have a fishing liscense, OR if we would have been littering, OR if we would have had weapons, OR if there was some sort of reason why they thought we were chopping down trees to use for firewood, OR if we would have been underage, etc, etc... Those guys were just boneheads plain and simple. It was off of River Road between Shawnee and Bushkill. 

BTW, my dad lives in Saylorsburg and teaches at PV.


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## unclebefbef (Jun 21, 2007)

Been checked several times over the years. Received a ticket when I was about 17. was hunting on a dove field that a freinds dad had. Well it seemed the millet was'nt quite thick enough for the dad so he supplemented a little bit. Did'nt turn out too bad though we all had a great shoot and only a $25.00fine. The dad fixed us a nice supper to boot and apologized. Once when I was about 30 a friend and I got up early at the lake to wet some buzz baits and i forgot my wallet. Sure enough we had'nt been fishing twenty minutes and a warden rides by the cove we were in slowed down turned around and came straight for us. I fessed up right away and he checked us out pretty good then told me where he was headed for breakfast and if I got my liscense and brought them to him no ticket. So a quick trip and we were back fishing.


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## Hunter1280 (Aug 16, 2007)

I've actually hunted w/Game Warden. Talk about a stressfull night before checking and re=-checking to make sure it was legal. Bythe way was the best duck hunt I've ever been on he knew some sweet honey holes. Ben checked numerous times by othersbut never any problems. 9i will say that after I was checked they usually seem a little disappointed that they didn't find some idot. Most of the time they are very happy-go-lucky and will talk and share some pretty good stories...just don't be afraid to ask or approach them about the law or any questions regarding the outdoors they are a great resource!!


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## bk9824 (Aug 26, 2007)

*Dove Hunting*

I've only been checked twice, and it was on the same day. Story is as follows:

I went to S. Texas with a friend of mine who grew in the area we were hunting (his grandfather has lived in the area his whole life so knows the local folks quite well, including ALL of the politicians and local law enforcement personell). So we started out on my first dove hunt at his grandpa's citrus orchard. We pulled off of the main paved road onto a unmaintained turnrow for hir gramps' orchard. 

We turn onto the dirt road and my buddy says get out and start walking to the intersecting turn row. (his family was already 300 yrds away on the turnrow perpindicular to the one I was walking down and were already shooting birds. So I'm walking down the row a solid 150 yrds ahead of my buddy in the truck who was backing up and back onto the paved road to take another turnrow to his family while I walked and hunted. I shot at a bird and missed (being my first dove hunt and not being completely prepared for the speed of those suckers). I turn around and my buddy is now driving back towards me, he says get in. So I unload my shotgun and hop in, thinking nothing of it. He then explained that there were game wardens about 1,000 yrds behind us watching the whole thing. I honestly didn't think anything was wrong since I was clear of him and had been walking for a few minutes without him anywhere near me. 

Anyhow... long story short we roll over to his family and they've already killed a few birds, well within limit and are hanging out. Wardens rolled up and start checking licenses, plugs, etc. I for some stupid reason thought I would be fine without having my hunter ed. completed so I got a ticket for that. No prob, take the class and it's taken off the record. Then the GW starts talking about hunting from a public road.  He had separated me from the rest of the group and starts going on and on about walking from the truck, getting picked back up, etc. I'm lost by now and try to explain that this was my first dove hunt, etc etc and he wasn't have any of it. 

So my buddy's dad and grandpa walk up and interrupt him to ask what all the mischief is about. After hearing about the hunting from a public road they absolutely lose it. They told the GW in no uncertain terms that the family maintained the road and that they had hunted off the same road numerous times over the years.

Long story short I end up getting a ticket for hunting from a public road (which my lawyer later informed me doesn't exist and is nowhere to be found on the state penal code; shooting across property lines is a fineable offense however), and no hunter ed. So my lawyer calls the game warden and has a very polite conversation with him, ends up getting the charge dropped and all I had to do was complete hunters ed. The GW told my lawyer (who is also a close family friend) that he wasn't even from that area and wasn't clear on the property lines and that he wrote me a ticket "because it was just a bad situation and he needed to learn a lesson". 

Later that day we went back to hunting on the same road I was walking down and were checked by another set of GWs. They never made any mention of public roads or anything close resembling it. They were much nicer and checked our plugs/limits and were on their way. Funny how some GWs can actually enforce rules and how others just want to "teach people lessons".


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## mjames76 (Nov 27, 2006)

They are the reason we lock our gate behind us. They got into a bad habit of driving up to our blind right at prime hunting time. Once we started locking the gate where they couldn't drive in we could watch them pull up and turn around. We park our trucks just on the other side of the gate so they can see them and know we are there. I guess they are just too lazy to walk.


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## Raider2000 (Oct 21, 2003)

I've never hunted illegally but in 1994 I didn't get my Hunting license because my first born was well, b orn & had a slight go at it at first but I allways had a camera in my Broco.
On my way home from work one afternoon I saw this great looking 8 pointer & thought why not, take a few pics w/ my 35mm.

About a minute of taking pictures "while laying across my hood" I had this...
STEP AWAY FROM THE TRUCK & PUT THE WEAPON DOWN!!!!

I ofcorse laid my camera down on the hood & stood away from my truck to see a Game Warden with his side arm pointing my way "needless to say I did exactly as he said" but after seeing that all I had in a means of a weapon was my pocket knife & that I was just taking pictures he felt about as big as a GNAT.
After I explained what I was doing & why, he laughed & stated that 3 other guys had taken shots at that FAKE DEER earlier that day & swore that when he saw the camera that it was a hand gun with a silencer or something...


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## deertag1966 (Aug 29, 2007)

i had one check my bow pounds and look at my broad heads he had a scale thet he hung on his jeep tow times he did that


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## CorkaWhacka (Aug 1, 2007)

I myself have never been even stopped by a game warden but my brother, however had an interesting run-in with the law. 
While hunting in a small town in NH, he pulled off the main road onto a gated cart road (on land he had permission to hunt), and drove about 200 yards off the public road and parked. He then walked 350 to 400 yards through the woods to his hunting spot and climbed his tree. After sitting in the tree for nearly two hours, he heard crunching in the woods from the direction which he came from. As he anxiously awaited a big bodied doe or better yet, a buck, who stepped out but a the town cop. He ordered my brother down only to check his license. After finding that he was a legit hunter, he made his way out of the woods. 
Does a town cop have the power to do something like this? Personally i think its absolutely outrageous. I must say my brother is a better guy than me because if i had an ignorant prick like that at 20 yards broadside, i dont know if i couldve resisted.:wink:


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## dave308 (Sep 16, 2006)

I have never been check hunting, but trout fishing is another story. Seems like everytime I go I get check. Thats why it pays to be legal.


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## PABowhunt4life (Feb 3, 2005)

Checked twice, busted once. No, I wasn't poaching or anythting of that nature.......... 

I was about 15 or 16 years old. My entire family was hunting small game and I had chosen to take the bow instead. About an hour before dark a blizzard hits out of nowhere. I rough it out till dark grab everything and start hauling arse back to the vehicle because at this point I am absolutely freezing.

At any rate, I had put my orange vest on, but in my haste to get back to warmth I forgot to flip my tossil cap from camo to orange. 100 yards from the vehicle out pops a warden and he gave me a written warning for not wearing enough blaze orange AFTER we talked for 30 minutes about how he bear hunted with my uncle a few times lol. Go figure 

That's is my big "violation".


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## bubba101st (Feb 14, 2006)

Here's a story for ya. A number of years ago there was a GW in Chelan county that was working a mule deer poaching ring. Well it happened that he found them one day with more than enough evedence to but them away for a long time. He confronted them and a chase through the hills started. As they were hauling butt down the forest service roads he shoved them over the bank on a switch back. When it was all said and done, they found 15 illigals (sp) from south of the border and 18 mulieys in the back of the van. All the deer were BIG bucks. The state was so impressed with his work, they fired him for pushing them off the road. I find that to be total BS. The guy does his job and he gets fired for it. It pi$$ed a lot of hunters off.


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## G2shootR (Apr 21, 2004)

been checked while fishing, not yet while hunting. 

most of my buddies have been checked while hunting, never any problems on their end, just wardens giving them the third degree over everything. I realize they have a job to do, and have no problem with that. but when it is blatent and obvious harassment, then I have a problem with it.


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## rapidrick (May 6, 2006)

Been checked numerous times. No problem. I treat them with respect & they likewise do the same.


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## mxdkfreestyle13 (Sep 15, 2006)

i just wish some would learn the rules. i actually had to tell one that he was wrong by showing him in the PA digest that I WAS ALLOWED TO RUN MY DOG!!! its almost embarassing. i know my uncle has been hassled and sometimes i dont think they are smart. they walked up on my friends through 8 ft. high corn they were shooting over for doves, right towards them!


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## zyxw (Feb 19, 2007)

Being a game warden is a tough and dangerous job. I'm friends with a couple and have known many over the years. Most are really great guys just doing a job but you do find the occasional power hungry jerk. One example, was happened just below my house. Two young boys about 14 years old were swimming in the lake and 1 drowned. Several people were there along with the family of the drowned boy and the other boy and his family. A local warden with a reputation of going a little overbaord was interveiwing the boy and wrote him a ticket right there because they were swimming in a no swimming zone. He as almost attacked on the spot and eventually had to make a public appology for his actions that day


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## SilentElk (Oct 6, 2004)

Game wardens have a real pain the rear job! They confront armed people in the middle of nowhere daily!! It takes some balls to do there job. 

i have been checked more times than I know. 8-10 times while fishing and probably the same while hunting. Be nice to them and they will be good to you.

Not going to say any names and this happened years ago but we used to have fantastic warden in out area. He was reasonable and not 100% by the book. He saw the big picture between minor mistakes or oversights and real law breaking. Once I got reminded by him I had to sign my tag before I was supposed to be hunting. I simply signed and now sign it since. Innocent mistake and wasn't something thats was real clear in the rule books. Another time we just get done dragging an elk out with a fourwheeler (this was before the huge 4-wheeler craze and few people had them so they werent a real problem yet) and he's says "Dont let the forest service see you do that. They'll write you a ticket." We didnt realize that a was a big no-no at the time. Now days they have the OHV rules posted in quite a few places and we know better. 

Difference between us and other camps is we were always easy to get along with and would offer him some breakfast or a pop or to stop by anytime or if he got in a situation and needed help to let us know. He knew we weren't out there breaking the law or trying to hide or get away with anything. We just wanted to hunt and pretty much had our ducks in order.

Now another friend of mine is on a Federal game wardens chit list. Let's say that sure isnt a list i want to be on! He was hunting ducks on some private land near a some fedeally protected lands. Now 99% of the fedeal land is on one side of a river and private on the other. Well, it happens the private he was on was is where a small pennisula in the river curved out far enough to come back over to private. At any rate the warden showed up and was ready to put them in cuffs. They ended up having to go to land owner and verified through some maps that indeed it was a public spot. He looked for every excuse he could to find a law they broke but could not find a one.

Same guy as above, shot an antelope the year after this happened. He hit a little low (rifle brisket shot) and the antelope ran about 100 yards or so and feel down. The antelope started thrashing around and then died. The got over to it and tagged it. They when they rolled it over a rattle snake was underneath and turns out the snake had bit the rear ham several times! Turns out the hit was low n the brisket and there is now ways that antelope should have died that fast. Not wanting an antelope injected with rattle snake poison, they called game and fish to get an officer to come out and give them a new tag. Turns out it was the same federal game warden that give them the hard time before (see above paragraph)!!

I guess the warden showed up a couple hours later and had completely remenbered him name. They gave him the story of what happened. Then he asked what happened to snake? They told him it wandered off (snakes arent in season). He replied, I am going to see if I can find it. He spent 50 minutes checking the sage in a 200 yards radius trying to see if he could find a snake that he suspected they killed! It ended up ok but he just has it out for him I think.


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## outdoorattic (Feb 25, 2006)

Was checked twice in Potter County PA during Bear season. Vey nice about it. They actually picked 2 guys in our group and left the rest alone. We stood there shooting the breeze for a few and then we moved on.


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## nova bowhunter (Jul 17, 2003)

*co*

been checked several times. the problem is your always guilty until proven innocent w/ these jerks. for some reason, they get off on having a $31,000 annual pay w/ some authority and treat you like your a felon. they belong at the bottom of the ocean laying right next to lawyers rotting away..


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## bsnelling1 (Jul 16, 2006)

I got a ticket for having trout in the same cooler w/ my buddy. They were even on separate stringers!


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## Rothhar1 (Apr 1, 2007)

I have been checked out 3 times about once every 9 years or so ! Never been illegal they were just checking tags .I hang my deer in front of god and everone to see after a kill I just want them folks that want everything to be their bussines to see I have nothing to hide !! Heck I even stop and show it of to the jelouse hunter guys next door so they got something else to complain about that way they see the tag on it and the wound .

It makes my day to see them butt heads with that "OMG they got another one " LOOK on their face ! Did I mention that they gave my 2 sons and I the boot after their grandmother died she was supper old lady that let us duck hunt there .They booted us because "They were serious deer hunters and there was a lot of deer on there place and didn't want us disturbing the" They have shot 1 doe in 3 years between 4 of them lol!!


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## DadOfFour (Aug 3, 2007)

Sal Sorrento said:


> the warden drove up and searched my vehicle while i was in the field and waited for me to come out.


WHAT!?!?!  He searched your vehicle without consent, and without a warrant  Talk about a violation of the law!


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## bigbuckdn (Sep 19, 2007)

I have been checked several times no problems hunting but once I had a problem with a local Town cop He must have been a anti gun as***le and he did not know the laws now mind you I am an officer myself and my dad is a police chief. So I am out on private land shooting trap. this guy pulls up the old wood road and jumps out of his car with his gun drawn yelling at me to drop my gun??? yes drop my trap gun on the ground. So I calmly tell him no I will set it on my tailgate. He yells at me again to drop the gun. So I place it on the tail gate. He comes over yelling that I am under arrest. I ask him for what and he states that I was shooting in the village I told him nope the village line is 200 yards to the left. Now I am pissed off and tell him that he is on private property without a warrent and he is the only lawbreaker here. Well I got the village chief (aka dad ) comming to verrify the line but either way you have to stop shooting due to a complaint. So Dad rolls up tells the guy he is wrong and he leaves all pissed off. So pop tells me that he is the towns new guy and he is an as***le. So the next day I decide to realy test this guy and his lack of knowledge of the law and I went to the property owners house were we also shoot over the pond and proceeded to shoot from the back deck wich NY you can't shoot within 500 ft of a building or dwelling unless you are the owner or have the owners permission. So here come Mr know it all yelling and hollering about the law and I let him arrest me.
then sued him for false arrest. After a little scare I let him off the hook but he decided to go back to the city where he belonged


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## BigBirdVA (Nov 5, 2002)

Been checked so many times I lost count. Memorable time was I was hunting on private land near Oceana Naval Air Station. I hear on the truck PA " Mr. XXXX come out of the woods or we will tow your vehicle". So I sneak up and have a peak and there is all of Oceana police there looking for me. I come up from another way and they say drop your weapon and act like I'm on their land. I lay the gun down and we go through all the licenses and all. Then he tells me I'm on the base. I say got a map? He pulls it out. I show him the zig-zag pattern on the map from private to base land and he goes, "ok". Then I show him the tree line and say, "doesn't that pattern look familiar"? He goes sure does. I ask him which side am I on? The private side he says. I ask him why is he bothering me? One by one all the others start leaving. Then the police chief shows up and says I'm in the right but call and let them know I'm going hunting next time. I said if you see my truck I'm hunting and you tell your guys and that's all you're getting. Then he says "well you can go back and hunt now". Of course by then it was too late. 

Had undercover wardens check me at a dove shoot. Had undercover Marine and Fishery people check me and search the boat for Rock fish. Had it all. I keep my stuff up and go where I'm supposed to and it's nothing to worry about.


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## Punch_Free4L (Mar 25, 2007)

ciscokid said:


> First year of my bow hunting adventure i was ticketed because i didn't have a license to shoot my bow.
> 
> Why is it that i have to buy a license to shoot a "stick with a string" , but i don't need one to shoot a rifle?


:mg: ah...........:zip:


anyway,never been checked cuz I'm always hunting private land and one of the DEC officers in my county is a friend of mine


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## Boludo (Feb 18, 2003)

I've been checked a bunch of times duck hunting, never big game hunting, and only once fishing. Funny thing is I used to fly fish about 4 days a week on a super busy river. This went on for years and I was never checked. I was busted for fishing without a license when I was younger - 16 years old - and it was the only time I've fished without a license. I was going to buy a temporary license for Idaho, since I'd only be up there a few days, but my cousins who have owned the land for several generations discouraged it, saying they had never bought tags and never will, and its their land. They own a few thousand acres of the most beautiful country you've ever seen right on the snake river. Anyway, I walked down to the lower pasture and cast a few in. Here comes a dude on a boat and pulls up and tickets me. I had to pay $90 for that dang ticket. The other crappy thing was that he was good friends with my uncle who owns the place.


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## Punch_Master (Jul 24, 2002)

Been checked many times while fishing. At Hamburg pond in MD on opening day of trout season the rangers come around and check everyone every year. Only ever been checked once while hunting in PA in all the years I've hunted there.


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## Reich (Dec 7, 2006)

*35 yrs hunting,,,*

never been checked....


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## Todd NE WY (Jul 12, 2007)

*Checked*

Been checked numerous times but tow that stick out.

First one I was 14 or 15 we were bowhunting deer on private land. Had just watched a herd of 8 - 10 medium to large mule deer bed and were comtemplating how best to get on them when up pulls the GW. He doesn't shut off his truck, wants to check all of our licenses. This happened to be a year that dad and I had spring bear, antelope, elk and deer licences, by the time he got done checking all of them the deer decided to vacate the country. The final kicker was he thought we were bird hunters when he pulled up, didn't even realize archery season was open.

Second time was during rifle elk season. Usually on the weekends they would have a check station set up and see what was coming out. My dad was up during the week(thur I think) and shot a large cow, no check station. He and I went up Fri and when we came out the check station was up. GW walks up and asks dad what he is doing up there he shot his yesterday? We explained I was the one with the tag today then dad asked how he knew about his cow as he had not seen any GW. GW said they watched the whole thing from next mountain over with spotting scope. Dad asked why they didn't come help him load it then.

Good hunting.

Todd


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## Buksknr53 (Mar 30, 2006)

I have had more encounters with wardens while fishing than hunting. I have been checked on a few occasions during hunting season. The warden only checked my license and asked me to unload my shotgun to see how many shells were in it. Several years ago, I was hunting with a group of guys on private land, when a warden road up on a horse. The land owner was there and asked the warden why was he on his land. As the warden stuttered, the land owner told him to get the hell off his land and not to come back unless he called him. The warden galloped off not saying a single word. After that, I assumed that wardens can't come onto your land unless they are called. At least in my state. I respect wardens for what they do, but I've met some that were real buttheads. The only ticket that have ever gotten, was for fishing without a salt water license. I was fishing in a river from a municipal pier and only had a fresh water license. I didn't know that on the side of the river that I was on required a salt water license, while on the other side, you only need a fresh water license. How messed up is that?


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## birddog1 (Sep 24, 2004)

Dang, you duck hunters must be a law-breaking bunch since you get checked so much. :wink: 

BTW, I've been stopped twice while deer hunting. Once on public ground coming out of the woods, the other time on private ground going back into the woods after lunch. I was actually quite a ways into the woods when I saw him pull up on the road. I went back to talk to him and I think he appreciated me coming to him. Both times the GW's were very polite.


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## andyjondreau (Jun 14, 2007)

*What do you expect?!?!?*



bowfreaknasty said:


> I had a run in with a CO in KY a few years ago. The regs say that you don't have to physically tag a deer(you have to fill out your permit for any kill though) as long as it is in your posession. I had shot a doe and had it hanging in a tree by my buddies house. We took a ride on the ATV. When we came back the game wardens sped up to us like we were stealing. They jumped out and started asking us where our orange was? Neither of us were hunting and we didn't even have weapons. They gave us grief for about 20 minutes over that deer. They said it should have been tagged if it wasn't in our posession. I said it was in my posession? They said how can it be in your posession if you are over the hill on an ATV? I told him I didn't realize if I went into the house I would have to take it into the living room with me? Finally, they left but, not before they wrote me a warning? Just a couple of jerks.
> 
> This is one of the reasons I am typically predjudiced against law enforcement types. In my experience whether it is a podunk city cop or whatever they tend to be chest pounders and are jerks. That type of guy rubs me the wrong way and gives me a negative outlook on the whole profession. It is sad that I feel this way but it is true.



It's too bad that you have that outlook on law enforcement. Being a deputy in central Wisconsin, I am going to take the side of a fellow officer. The following is only my opinion based on your version of the story: 
Solely based on what you have written, you didn't have the deer in your possession. You openly admitted to driving off and leaving it there un-tagged, regardless if you were coming back in 2 minutes or two hours. My guess is had you left it on your wheeler, you would have been fine. There are jerks in every profession, but making some sort of smartass remark isn't the best idea. Whether or not you think you are right, just say "Okay" and if you get a citation, fight it in court. Some wardens/deputies/troopers/officers are line by line, by the book. If you aren't doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about. The people who complain about law enforcement are usually the ones doing something wrong. I'm not trying to be a jerk or smart-ass, and I'm not trying to establish any ill-feelings, however I have no issue calling a spade a spade.


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## pointer pa (Sep 7, 2007)

most of the time i never have a problem being checked out, 
but this year on the goose opener. i was getting the only local flock comming to my field. next thing i know they flare off. so trying to figure why i see black boots and green pants walking the wood line down to me. 

and this is at 8am. zero hour. so they ruind the only shot at birds for the day. but then the stupid deputy started his training with his half hour of questions trying to trip my stories up. trying to get us to admitt we were shooting at doves before noon. wich we werent.

by why in the unholy hech do they have to play their games at 8am on the opener


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## Joe D (Dec 10, 2003)

*Getting checked*

I get checked just about every year. The funniest thing that ever happened to me while hunting, happened back in the late 90's. We were gun hunting the first season in Iowa. I was on post and a bunch of guys were driving. There were 7 of us spread out along a ditch looking over a cut corn field. Each of us were about 100 yards apart. About 10 minutes into the sit, mother nature called and there was no holding it. So I dropped the carharts and leaned back holding the wire. Did what I had to do and got back to hunting. 5 minutes later we see 2 trucks pull up an 6 wardens pop out and start checking everyone. I just sat on the fence waiting for deer to come out. This young warden says can I see your license, I don't move, just reach in my back pocket and pull it out. He decides to jump the ditch and come over.

You guessed it, he jumped right in the pile. It took all I was worth to not pee in my pants. Til this day I don't know if he knew he stepped in it, or was too embarrassed to say anything.


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## coelkbowhunter (Jul 16, 2006)

*wardens*

I HAVE BEEN CHECKED IN COLORADO 3 TIMES ELK HUNTING.IN WISCONSIN NOW!MAN I CAN'T GO THERE.I HAVE HAD A WARDEN CHASE ME FOR YEARS JUST TRING TO NAIL ME.BUT HE RETIRED LAST YEAR AND NOW WE HUNT AND FISH TOGETHER AND WE NEVER BRING UP THE PAST YEARS.SO WE BE COOL NOW.:tongue:


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## DadOfFour (Aug 3, 2007)

andyjondreau said:


> It's too bad that you have that outlook on law enforcement. Being a deputy in central Wisconsin, I am going to take the side of a fellow officer. The following is only my opinion based on your version of the story:
> Solely based on what you have written, you didn't have the deer in your possession. You openly admitted to driving off and leaving it there un-tagged, regardless if you were coming back in 2 minutes or two hours. My guess is had you left it on your wheeler, you would have been fine. There are jerks in every profession, but making some sort of smartass remark isn't the best idea. Whether or not you think you are right, just say "Okay" and if you get a citation, fight it in court. Some wardens/deputies/troopers/officers are line by line, by the book. If you aren't doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about. The people who complain about law enforcement are usually the ones doing something wrong. I'm not trying to be a jerk or smart-ass, and I'm not trying to establish any ill-feelings, however I have no issue calling a spade a spade.


My father always told me, "The time to argue is in court, not on the side of the road."


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## posco (Feb 27, 2007)

buckmark23 said:


> I have never been checked by a game warde/CO but I wanted to know if any of you have been. A really good friend was telling me that he was check 3 times in one weekend while hunting the same property. Have you ever been harassed(sp) by a GW? Be honest and tell us if you broke the law in some form or another. No one on AT will give you a hard time:wink:.


Of course I've been harrassed...that's their job. Bunch of thrill seekers totin guns and bows. Can't blame em.

Ours are a pretty decent bunch. For the most part I have nothing to fear. One of these days a warden is gonna ask me for my pen. I'm gonna say what pen? He's gonna the say the pen your supposed to fill out your tag when you down a deer. Ain't got no pen on me. How do you expect to fill out your license without a pen he'll say. I forgot my Bic I'll tell him. He'll say not good enough. Simple oversights can get you in trouble. Gonna go throw a pen in my pack right now. Outlaw days are over.


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## Archer 117 (Dec 5, 2006)

I got checked for the first time when I was about 11. I was in a field dove hunting with my dad and the game warden came and made me unload my gun by myself. Checked for my hunter ed card and to see if our guns were plugged or not. I was pretty nervous! haha only because the i didnt really know what was going on. But we were all legal of course.


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## buckmark23 (Jul 1, 2006)

coelkbowhunter said:


> I HAVE BEEN CHECKED IN COLORADO 3 TIMES ELK HUNTING.IN WISCONSIN NOW!MAN I CAN'T GO THERE.I HAVE HAD A WARDEN CHASE ME FOR YEARS JUST TRING TO NAIL ME.BUT HE RETIRED LAST YEAR AND NOW WE HUNT AND FISH TOGETHER AND WE NEVER BRING UP THE PAST YEARS.SO WE BE COOL NOW.:tongue:


Do you show him all your tricks that you pulled on him over the years?


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## Protecsafari (Sep 21, 2007)

Somebody didn't recognize my truck when we hung stands, met them and everything was cool ( they didn't tell us they'd called the CO).

We hung another stand, on the way to the spot I saw the CO wagon by my truck.

We got back and I went looking for the law. Found them backing into a corn field. I stopped, waved them to come over, and they jumped out mighty fast.

Old time CO was acting kinda goofy ( no sheite- he acted like the old time cop in the movie "Hot Fuzz" looked like him too ). I told them who I was, where we were hunting, where I'd be parking opening day. The young CO was by my pass. rear door hand on his gun like he wanted to quick draw me and my two buds.

His eyes were wide and he looked super buzzed like he was on crack.

***?

Uh, I went and found them, if I wanted to do harm I would have had them before they knew what was up.

What a friggin' idiot the new guy was.

Old timer asked me about my plates, since I transferred them to this truck from my old one..........over a year ago. 

Guess the computer pulled up both trucks, mind you, same address, same name, why didn't Barney read the %$#& VIN number off my dash? (plenty of light, is right up front, my rig was next to the road on a pull off- it would have taken 2 minutes, but required exiting the vehicle DOH!)

Possum cops, and regular cops, I am glad they do the jobs they do, and if laws are being broken, hey, enforce them to the max..........but some of these folks get a badge and think they have license to be jerks.

Why did I go find the CO?

Because I have a long walk to my little woods, and I don't want them walking across the field, spooking crap just to "check me out".

They now know who I am, what I drive, where I park, if they have any questions we can settle it at my truck.

Any activities at other places will be deemed harassment and I will file charges.

I play it straight up, and d*mn well expect those with the badges to do the same.


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## gc1 (Feb 6, 2007)

I pulled into a local gas station one night at about 9:00 and there were seven or eight game wardens filling up their trucks getting ready for a long night of setting over blinky the fake deer I put the gas in my truck and was walking into the station at the same time as the group of GWs. I say to them "hey while I have all you guys here maybe you can answer a question for me. What size flash light am I allowed to use for deer hunting?"Well I thought I was pretty funny, most of the wardens looked at me like I was a real knuckle head and the old vetran reaches down on the counter grabs a book of matches hands them to me and says I can shoot only one deer per match. That was all it took for the bunch of them to loosen up and have a good laugh. I said thanks and they wished me a good hunt. That was my only confrontation with the deer cops


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## Mizzoukispot (Feb 4, 2006)

I have been checked a number of times by florida fish and game. Twice by an Illinois officer when I was younger and hunting pheasants. All good. Some were super business like, others were more cool. No problems. But then, I dont give them a reason to give me any


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## Shaman (Jun 19, 2005)

One eye said:


> Harrassed??? How is doing their job harrassment?


How is the crux of the statement.

Getting pulled up on while fishing and asked to present your license. Cool.

Driving up a slope in winter to have the warden pull out on the apex of the hill forcing you to slide back, telling you to get out, checking all your gear, and then leaving without helping you back down the hill and get a new running start. NOT COOL.

Having the GW ask you to present your tags at a weigh station? COOL.

Having the GWs angry dog staring you down while barking his drooling head off, while it is wearing no vest and belonging to a NON-K9 authorized officer? NOT COOL.


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## bigl1971 (Sep 17, 2007)

I have been checked a couple of times. One time they were pretty cool the other time they were pretty high strung. Both times everything checked out.

I have had to call the wardens twice. We had a big problem with road hunters one even put a hole in my 3d elk target (he had to buy me a new center section) and we dont live anywhere near elk. I called and they set up a Robo deer on county land across the road from me and busted a few guys. Word got around there was a robo deer in the area and the problem slowed down a lot.

A guy down the road leased 80 arces to a couple of guys. They showed up and thought they leased the whole dang county. One morning they chased a buck right by my stand with their 4 wheelers they were a mile away from were they should have been. I made sure the guy who leased too them explained while I was present where the boundries were. A week later I was heading to a stand and noticed their 4 wheelers parked in some brush, they were two miles away from the land they leased this time. I called the sheriff. The sheriff and two GWs showed and found the guys. One of the wardens told me later that I wouldn't have to worry about thoses guys ever again.

Needless to say I have a lot of respect for the Game Wardens. If they want to check me out I can put up with a little bad attitude. The idiots they are busting are the same idiots giving hunters a bad name.


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## jbux44 (Jan 3, 2007)

I have been checked several times and all of them have been friendly. Last year on one of the places I hunt it is about a 2 mile walk and I was alone. On the way out I was walking on a service road and didnt have my light out and I see this black blob in the middle of the road about 10 yards in front of me it was a agent but he scared the hell out of me. I wish he had his truck back in there to give me a ride out but he didnt. He walked out with me and ended up being a really nice guy. He also had alot of stories about busting people.


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## Unk Bond (Aug 1, 2004)

Hello

Over the years i have been checked several times.One time i was fined in ohio while **** hunting with out a light that shined 180 deg's on top of my head.He took my drivers Lic. Said he would be back.And left in his old truck and camo jacket on.A hour half later he returned in his state car all spruced up in his suit.And wrote me a ticket.And gave me my Lic. back.And all the time we set by my truck waiting on him to return.

Now here is a funny story on a game warden.] Well i left the woods early from deer hunting..And as i came out of the woods to the gravel road.A game warden was setting beside my truck.He was one of the higher ranking game wardens in that county.Meaning he had sevral game wardens under him. He said our you by your self.I said no my buddy is comeing behind me.He said lets see your hunting Lic.He said  oh ,your from Scioto county.I said yes.He said we have been haveing trouble with some guys from there and he said it in a mean way.Then his eyes glanced down at my feet.He said what do you have on your feet.I said my climbing pole spurs. Then he replyed.Iam going to halft to right you up a ticket for haveing spurs on.I replied well i have hunted for years with them.Being still mad he said maybe in Scioto county.But not in this county .Up walk my buddy.I told him what was going on.And he said thats not right.And the game warden replied .I have a lot of laws that super seed what you Lic laws have.Then i said lets see that law that pertains to pole climbmers.

Well he got out his little book.And beleve you me he was realy hot at this time as he read from his little book.He read that it is unlawful to ware climbmers while pursuing fur bearing animals.And my buddy Jack spoke up and said.Deer have hair not fur.Boy that game warden lost it.He said you take them xxxxx spur climbmers back to Scioto county.And i never want to see you in my county again .


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## Jaydogg (Jul 30, 2007)

Well I got one for you. About 10 years ago my grandfather who was in his early sixties at the time moved back to Kansas City from Arizona. Well he hadn't been deer hunting in a lot of years and decided he would go with us during rifle season. We hunt my great grandparents 1,000 acre cattle farm near Chillicothe, Mo. In the big deer country. Well we told my grandfather that he needed an orange hat and vest, but back in the day when he hunted I guess the rules weren't quite so specific. He thought we were kidding I guess and only had a vest on. He was sitting on this little ridge over looking a creek bottom, when a helicopter landed right behind him in the field. GW gets out and writes him an orange violation ticket.

Well we saw the helicopters flying for about the next 5 years after that, never had any trouble though.

Sure seems like a waste of money to pay for helicopters when road hunters are thicker than misquitoes in a Louisiana swamp, and everyone knows that half the Amish folks have barn full of untagged deer that they shot while tresspassing.


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## depthfyndr (Sep 19, 2007)

Been checked 3 times, first time while duck hunting, GW sat over in his boat and watched us for about an hour, he waits until the 9:00 flight starts to come in ( No action for about 45 min )He could have come sooner. He beaches the boat and comes walking up to our blind. He is shaking so bad, he nearly drops my gun ( he was a rookie ). I guess walking up to 5 guys you dont know that have guns could be a little stressful. He takes a magnet to our shells and all is good until he runs his magnet along my box of shells. It doesnt stick as well as the others. He makes me hand him each shell and he checks each one, everthing OK. Meanwhile ducks are pouring into the decoys and we cant do anything and it was opening day

I didnt think much of this guy until about 2 years later while rabbit hunting with some friends. We kicked a brush pile and out comes a rabbit, I draw down on it and was just about to drop the hammer down and I caught a glimpse of someone in the direction I was going to throw some pellets. It was the same warden. He come up un-announced on us just after shooting one about 5 min before I didnt have my hunting license and figured he had me for sure. On top of that, my buddy didnt have his plug in but only had two shells in. He issued a warning while my buddy made a plug. He took me to his truck and asked if I had a license. I told him I did, but not on me. He gets on his radio and calls dispatch inquiring about my priveleges. After the very lengthy list dispatch gave him, he told dispatch he "Gets The Picture".
No ticketf, he gave me a slip and told me to continue hunting!!


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## talonwolf37 (Jan 17, 2004)

been checked lots of times. even been friends with a couple of them.last year i walked right up to three wardens parked on the side of the road watching some guys duck hunting. after about five minutes of chatting one ask to see my license and tags. i just looked at him and said, i have to have tags? all three started laughing. i showed them everything and thanked them for doing there job. the oldest guy of the three just looked at me and sayed in 20 year on the job very few people had ever thanked him.


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## Takeum (Jul 22, 2005)

Well, I'm without a hunting license this year until my full 1 yr loss of license is up in Nov,, So the story goes,, I was hunting WMA property last year during Archery season in an area I wasn't so familar with,,, I decided that I was gonna go to the furthest Northern point so I could to get close enough to this land owners property that plants beans so that when evening came, deer would exit our woods and enter his bean field,, Well,, I got to the furthest Northern point I thought that was WMA property,, Didnt see any fences or signs or painted tree's and started to become uncomfortable because of not seeing anymore painted trees in the area,, So I climbed the tree to see the WMA property line in front of me within , say, 25 yards,, Anyway,, I felt okay about where I was, thinking I was still on WMA property and climbed the tree and hunted awhile,, I heard a 4 wheeler coming towards me when suddenly he appears to my left about to come across my hunting lane,, So I flag this man down and warned him he was about to cross my hunting path,,, Well, the first thing the guy says is,, Give me your hunting license,,, I asked him, What do you want my license for? He states, Because He is the land owner and cicles his property daily for trespassers and wants to have me arrested,,, SO I tell him NO,, He can't have my license because I didnt believe that I was tresspassing and saw no signs while entering this part of the property. I then asked him to tell me where in fact the property lines were painted,, He goes to the tree that was painted on the wrong side of the tree and tells me { here}!.. So I tell the guy , well give me a break please,, I didnt realize that this was his property seeing first of all,, THe tree was painted wrongly and the line was NOT Clear,, He stated to me,, NO mercy for anyone thats caught on his property EVER,,, SO I tell him whatever,, I am leaving your property and to call the CO and have HIM meet me at my truck that was parked between the two properties,,, Anyway,, The CO comes after I sat there at my truck for nearly 45 minutes of exiting the woods,, Tells me to step away from my truck and put my hands in the air,, LOL,,, SO I did what He asked and He stated that I was being cited for Illegal trespassing and possible poaching of animals... I argued for a few moments , then came to my senses and decided to leave it up to the judge,, Wrong move,,, I thought this would had been resolved by a spanking on the hand and possibly a small fine,,, Wrong! Loss of license for 1 yr for first offense tresspassing, and 250 dollar fine for courte fee's and fines,,, Almost was given 30days in jail as well with this fine if it weren't for me arguing with the judge about the tree had been marked incorrectly,,, Anyway,, Lesson learned,, NEVER Go hunting alone if your a Yankee living in the SOUTH.... They are hard on guys with Northern acsents and Big City Slicker appearences,, lol... Moral of story,, Don't EVER Go to courte without a Lawyer , reguardless of how small a law you broke . Looks like a good year to hunt my own property in neighboring Arkansas ...


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## DougKMN (Nov 7, 2006)

The last year my dad was able to hunt, he was on oxygen and unable to walk for great distances. He had the special permit to shoot from a non-moving vehicle. Most of the times he got out of the pickup and just leaned against it, but sometimes even that was too much so he sat in the pickup itself with his shotgun. While we were hunting, other "hunters" called the GW on us (him) several times those days. FYI, this is one of the biggest reasons why I feel that X-bows should be legal for everyone, because I don't think anyone should be able to harass another hunter using the GWs. 

Another year, and this is, IMO, the GW being a butthole, it was cold and there was a really harsh wind, we had gotten a couple deer out of one run, and we picked up one deer that dropped out in the open to move into a sheltered area in the same field to get out of the wind. The GW counted that as transporting game without a tag, even though we never left the property. Fortunately, all he gave us was a small fine, as he could have made it a lot worse. We had always read the regs to say that you could go on a public road with untagged game, but I guess we were wrong, it was an expensive mistake, and one we haven't repeated. Now we tag them were they drop.


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## tntc (May 11, 2006)

As much as license and tags cost, I expect that they do their jobs and am disappointed if they don't check.


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## txcookie (Feb 17, 2007)

Got busted in ARK fishing with a hunting license. Get this I only got a warning and was told that I could fish the rest of the weekend! GW can be cooollllll!!!! then again all I had fish with was a kid pole think its was Little mermaid or somthing so he probably felt my life sucked anyhow and I didnt need any further punishment!


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## Takeum (Jul 22, 2005)

txcookie said:


> Got busted in ARK fishing with a hunting license. Get this I only got a warning and was told that I could fish the rest of the weekend! GW can be cooollllll!!!! then again all I had fish with was a kid pole think its was Little mermaid or somthing so he probably felt my life sucked anyhow and I didnt need any further punishment!


 Man,,, you don't know how lucky you are,, Haven't you ever heard of that movie " Deliverance ?" Arkansas is the very state that movie was taken,,, He probably was just baiting you back to your tent so later on he could come a knockin! lol...:set1_fishing::rockhard:


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## LOST (Jun 22, 2007)

I get checked three or four times a year hunting usually. Never worry because I am always legal. That said I did get a ticket while fishing once. They had just changed the law from flotation cushions being enough to making life jackets in the boat mandatory and I didn't know it. GW wrote me a ticket and told me that I could continue fishing if I wanted to. Of course I threw the boat in the back of the truck and headed to Wally world for a couple cheap jackets.

They do a job I wouldn't want, but I am glad they are there.


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## marcusjb (Jun 22, 2005)

thenson said:


> I was a bit late coming out of the woods, my bow was still strung and I didn't have my license posted on my back.
> 
> thenson


I'm sorry but game wardens that hassle you for laws like this are just ridiculous. Go out and catch some poacher or someone who's breaking a law that matters (much less means anything) and leave the law abiding people alone. If they would spend half of the time going after real criminals instead of harrassing hunters that are tripping over themselves to dot every i and cross every tee, there wouldn't be any poachers to worry about! I'll get off my soapbox now.


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## Apache (Apr 11, 2007)

I've been approached by wardens in two states and have never been harassed or even ask to show a license although they have asked if I actually had one. Maybe I'm just one of those nonthreatening types ...


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## bigrackHack (Jun 11, 2004)

marcusjb said:


> I'm sorry but game wardens that hassle you for laws like this are just ridiculous. Go out and catch some poacher or someone who's breaking a law that matters (much less means anything) and leave the law abiding people alone. If they would spend half of the time going after real criminals instead of harrassing hunters that are tripping over themselves to dot every i and cross every tee, there wouldn't be any poachers to worry about! I'll get off my soapbox now.


I dunno.......I mean, it's comparable to the same policeman that captures a murderer also writes tickets for speeding. They're not out there just to catch the "big" ones......they also gotta catch the smaller offenders too. Breaking the law is breaking the law and getting cited for it doesn't amount to harassment. IMHO. :darkbeer:


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## DougKMN (Nov 7, 2006)

Shaman said:


> How is the crux of the statement.
> 
> Getting pulled up on while fishing and asked to present your license. Cool.
> 
> ...


Don't forget, (IMO--why I always put this is beyond me, it is in my sig after all) other people calling GWs to check on someone repeatedly, while the GW is doing their job, they are harassing the person they are checking, even if it is just by extension from the reporting party. One of the calls placed (in reference to my earlier post) was placed, coincidentally, shortly after a deer another party was trailing ran into the woods we were hunting. They called either to get us out of there, or maybe hoping the GW would scare the deer out for them, but I doubt it was because they were truly concerned about someone sitting in their truck while holding a gun.


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## jer7440 (Sep 27, 2005)

I have had two experiences with the DNR in MI. The first time was when I was about 18. In MI the DNR police the state parks, and there are several state parks along the shores of Lake Michigan. It was common on Sun nights for teenagers to hang out in the parking area of the state park. At the time I was driving an open top jeep, and I went to move from parking by one group of friends to another. I didn't put my seatbelt on and the dnr guy pulled me over for it. I said, "I didn't realize I needed to wear a seat belt in a parking lot". He says "This isn't a parking lot, it's a state road" So he writes me a ticket and leaves. Well I took it to court and the judge threw it out. He seemed a little annoyed to have to be dealing with it.

The second time some buddies and I were camping out on some state land where we hunt. It was in august and we had our 3D target with us and a treestand up in a tree so we could practice. The DNR guy came driving down the 2 track past our camp. All he did was ask us how we were doing and if we were having a good weekend. He didn't ask to see our camping permit or anything.


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## laut (Mar 31, 2006)

*game warden*

They are harassing us !!! They are just doing their job making sure no one is breaking the law. If you are a hornest hunter, you don't have to worry about being check by the wardens. 
Tony from Canada !!!


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## KOZMAN4907 (Sep 23, 2004)

*busted one time....*

Fishing in aproved troute waters before the open of season! I was 16 years old and saw swiming "football" in a local stream. Well as most young guns I ran home got my fly rod and landed a 22 inch rainbow trout. Slid that sucker down my waders and as I was alking out local fish waden asked " why I was walking funny". Short story busted and paid a fine to the state and my father was not happy with me did not go trout fishing opening day as punishment. 

I learned my lessson big time! It took me a long time to pay that fine. My father's disapointment was even worse!:sad::embara:.

I have been check several times hunting fishing since no worries, heck I even help local game officers with stings/patrols now.

Keep your stuff staight and no problems they are just doing a thankless job.
Koz


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## Shaman (Jun 19, 2005)

laut said:


> They are harassing us !!! They are just doing their job making sure no one is breaking the law. If you are a hornest hunter, you don't have to worry about being check by the wardens.
> Tony from Canada !!!


See my post above.
I have no issue being checked.
I have issues with people being disrespected and in some cases endangered.


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## DuckTech14 (Jul 14, 2005)

Takeum said:


> Man,,, you don't know how lucky you are,, Haven't you ever heard of that movie " Deliverance ?" Arkansas is the very state that movie was taken,,, He probably was just baiting you back to your tent so later on he could come a knockin! lol...:set1_fishing::rockhard:


Actually the movie was about four businessmen from Georgia, and was also filmed in Georgia, but whatever. Nice try on the insult. Might oughta think about researching a little before you try and put something down.


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## Highball (Jul 17, 2007)

DuckTech14 said:


> Actually the movie was about four businessmen from Georgia, and was also filmed in Georgia, but whatever. Nice try on the insult. Might oughta think about researching a little before you try and put something down.


Wow, touched a nerve


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## ohiobowhunter75 (Feb 21, 2007)

I've been checked a few times over the years.I have never had any violations.


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## JOE DIRTAY (Jun 8, 2007)

30 years checked twice. Both times OK.

99% are just doing their job.
Glad they are our there.


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## Luckiduc13 (Nov 1, 2004)

Been checked several times! Last dove season I didnt pay a speeding ticket, which suspended my driving license. I forgot about all that and went to get my hunting licence before dove season and they were denied! I went anyway and a very remote place at that with thoughts that I would never see a warden out there. Anywho, I did, and got busted. No License ticket, no plug ticket, and if he would have found my dove pile (28) it would have been a ticket for over the limit and 50 bucks per dove. Im such an outlaw! When I lived at home my Dad always renewed, and paid for, my license when they sent the renewal papers out. Man, wish I still lived at home....Maybe build him a room onto my house!


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## Deezlin (Feb 5, 2004)

Actually, I got busted one time. It was in the sixties in Illinois, you could hunt on your property without a license. We had a very enthusiastic game warden who would stop and check any hunter he saw. He'd check you everytime. The game warden he replaced, completely disappeared!!!

I was coming down a road adjacant to a small section of land on my families property and I got busted there with the gun still loaded. It took quite a bit of convencing on my father's part to convence the game warden, I was on family property and therefore, didn't need a hunting license. I thought at that time, he had pulled the wool over the warden's eyes. I never was allow to hunt without a license after that either.

Many years later while settling the estate of the farm, I found out he was correct. My great, grandfather and his neighbors had a road go through and they evidently decided that one family would take this land and another will take this etc. They didn't bother to have it legally recorded.

At any rate, the land I was adjacent to was ours. It had since been sold and a house built on it and another section of land was actually owned by him which land locked some of my land. It was a darn big mess, that cost me some money legally to get straightened out.


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## HOKIEHUNTER07 (Oct 4, 2005)

I've been checked MANY a times. Most were decent but one was pretty crappy.

about 5 buddies and I were catfishing on a small island in Lynchburg, VA. We had a small john boat with 2 life jackets and a throw cushion and we ferried everyone to the island 2 at a time to stay legal. well, we'd fished for about 3 hours when a white coupe pulls up on the road on the far bank from the island (maybe 100-200 yards away). It was dark and we couldn't see a whole lot but a guy got out of the car, walked down to the river, stayed for about 10 mins then left. We didn't think a whole lot of it at the time, but about an hour later another car pulls up, the driver gets out, and carries a flashlight down to the river where the previous driver had been. All of a sudden the light points towards us, stays there for a while, then goes out. 

At this point my buddies and I thought we were witnessing a drug deal so we all threw our gear in the small john boat, jumped in (the boat was just barely riding out of the water at this point), and road down the river with the running lights off. When we pull up to the ramp, an SUV comes barreling down the ramp towards us with it's brights on... we couldn't see anything on the car but the headlights so we scattered and surrounded the car thinking we were about to get shot for witnessing a drug deal. Well the guy opens his door and it's the GW in an unmarked SUV telling us all to stand in front of the car while he checked to see if we were armed. Once he found that we weren't he turned his brights off and started talking to us. He asked if we'd seen the white car pull up and go down to the river. We told him we had seen a car stop and the driver get out but couldn't make out what he was doing.

About that time 4 search helicopters flew overhead. He told us the car had 2 suspicious passengers and out of state tags. The GW and the police suspected the car passengers had dumped a body in the river, and he was the driver of the 2nd car going to check it out. He had seen us across the river and was trying to signal for us to come to the ramp, but tripped and broke his flashlight (hence the light going out). We told him we thought we had just witnessed a drug deal and that he was the 2nd half. We were scared he was a lunatic that might start shooting and that's why we high-tailed it to the ramp. 

Well we sat there for about 30mins talking about all we had seen and he said he greatly appreciated it... then he chekced licenses. I had mine on me, but 3 of my friends didn't have theirs. He rummaged around the boat for a little while and noticed we only had 2 life jackets and 1 throw pillow. The GW asked for the boat reg, but the guy that owned the boat took his dad's truck and left the reg in HIS truck. We thought with all that had happened and our cooperation that he would let us off with warnings. The GW walked to his truck for about 15mins then walked back to us with a smile on his face. THE A-HOLE had the nerve to "jokingly" ask, "do any of you boys have a chainsaw? I'm gonna need to cut down a tree to write all these tickets!"

Well he ended up writing us tickets for: 1) operating a boat at night without running lights, 2) Operating a boat without the regs, 3) 4 life jacket infractions (not enough LJ's on the boat), and 4) 4 fishing without a license tickets. The fishing licenses and the reg tickets I understand, but we had just explained that we were scared ****-less and that's why we all jumped in the boat and left the lights off. He told us it was tough crap and to have a good night.

That guy was a total ****


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## Buford (Dec 6, 2004)

DuckTech14 said:


> Actually the movie was about four businessmen from Georgia, and was also filmed in Georgia, but whatever. Nice try on the insult. Might oughta think about researching a little before you try and put something down.



Man, I feel for you if you let every jab referencing that movie get to you this bad because it is the butt of many jokes and inferences over the years. Shoot... there's one right there!



Oh, been checked once dove hunting. Very uneventful.


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## KAWABOY-ZX11 (Feb 22, 2004)

Sleazy_E said:


> I have never been checked for either hunting or fishing... and probably never will unless I get pulled over by one on my way to the check in station..... I only hunt and fish private land (most of it my family owns) and have never even seen a GW in the area. As a general rule.. unless there are complaints around about you or your hunting practices the GW's stay off private land and leave ya be. That being said... if I ever was to be checked I would be fine... because there is no way I am going to lose my hunting privileges just to save $24.... not worth it to me.
> 
> And Neb... around here you would not be a criminal for having a personal carry.... it is legal to carry here during bow season assuming you have a concealed weapon or personal protection permit.


 are you sure about that??? i dont think so, but hope it changed and you're right. Dennis


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## chrispearsoc (Jul 26, 2006)

*busted (maybe)*

2 unusual incidents.

First was fishing with my brother and dad in the Steens Mountains when I was probably 10. Slaying the fish on barbed flies all morning. We decided to hike back to the pickup for lunch and were hotfooting it. We hear someone holler from behind us as we climb out of the valley. Here comes officer copenhaven running with his binoculars swinging from his neck. Funny I wonder if he watched me throw that fish at my brother? He proceeds to write up my dad for all of us using barbed flies. Pretty nice to just issue one citation for all three of us outlaws. Then he practically ran back to his truck. When we arrived at our pickup he asked for the ticket back because as it turns out fishing barbless was just a recommendation!!

Second incident was duck hunting when I was a dumb college kid. I went to a popular place I had heard about to set up for an evening hunt. I didn't have any decoys or anything. Just wanted to sit on the water and hope for a fly over. I kept running into other hunters every time I found a likely place. I got in my truck and drove to a different spot. There was a big sign with an A on it. No one was around so I walked down a trail by some sloughs. I was jumping ducks left and right and having a big time. Think I had 4 birds and was trying to catch a wounded one. What the heck were all those other idiots doing packed in like sardines in that other area? Just then I heard a truck driving nearby. This was a gated area. I got real thoughtful for a minute. I waded over for a look and sure enough it was a fish and wildlife rig. He got out and looked around with binoculars toward me. I just stood still and had a good think. He got bored after a while and just waited for me at my truck. Turns out I was in a closed area. Go figure. He issued me a citation of some sort and explained that he would turn it in to the state police and they may come and ticket me if they had time. I think what really happened was he just took pity on me because I was a fool. He probably threw the ticket away and had a good laugh. Even let me keep my ducks. I can't imagine hunting ducks within 50 yards of another guy's setup or paying big money each year to hunt. I haven't been out since.


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## StrutStopper (Sep 3, 2003)

I have been checked fishing and hunting severqal times, they're doing their job and I was always in compliance. One time while hunting shotgun at Quantico, the game warden never even asked me for my license, he just asked to see my gun, noted that I had 3 slugs on the dashboard saying, well thats good... and proceded to make sure my gun was plugged so it would take a maximum of 3 shells. It was, he said he liked my gun and told me to have a nice day.

Another time, turkey hunting here in RI a warden saw me walking to my truck after leaving the woods. I leaned my gun against my truck tire as he was driving by. He pulled up and stopped. Asked me if the gun was loaded, I said no. He asked if he could check, i said sure. I asked him if he wanted to see my license. He said if you dont mind... At this time, another warden was driving by and stopped as well. He got out of his truck and I said Hello Ed, he said hello back, and you could see the tension the first officer had melt away. Those guys have a stressful job, they never know what kind of yahoo they're stopping to check out.


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## dicksenn (Feb 26, 2006)

I have been checked a couple of times on public land, they just asked to see our license and then we went on our way. But a couple of years ago myself and three buddies went hog hunting and lets just say about $1200 in tickets were issued. We were 19 and hog hunting during deer season on private land. Well, my buddy who's dad owned the land had not been out in a while and took us to the wrong side of the property so we were actually on someone elses property and didn't know it. (So someone called us in to the Game Warden) Also, if you hog hunt in OK you need a license but no tag, unless its deer season (which it was) you better have a deer tag as well. Plus, you better be wearing your hunter orange. Well, I knew all of this told all three of my buddies and even brought extra vests for them to wear. When we get to the property I find out two of them don't have a license and none of them wanted to wear orange, well I should have stood my ground and said I wasn't going, but in the end the end I knew it was private land with a locked gate and it was really my friends lesson to learn. So off we go hog hunting, and I made sure to tell them all what would happen if they were caught before we went in the woods. On our way out we have about a 100 yard walk to the truck and here comes a Green Game Warden truck down the private road (you could tell it was a game warden with the 10 or so antennas coming off the truck) I tell my buddies "looks like you better unload your guns and get out your wallets" we get to the game warden I show him my unloaded gun, my hunters orange, and all my licenses and he says okay your good to go. I then watch as my buddies all get about $400 in tickets, (1 for no orange, one for no license, and one for no deer tag). That was a fun ride home, all I could say was I told you so and rub in the fact that had they taken my advice they wouldn't be paying out for breaking the law while I pointed out the fact that I even brought them extra vests to where, and the fact of the matter was that the Game Warden could have taken there rifles and there vechicle so he was actually pretty cool about the whole thing.

In the end it was a good lesson for these guys. They were all the type that figured they would never get caught, and now they no better. In fact we have been hunting since then and they have been legal everytime. Some times people have to learn the hard way.


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## B0hunt3r39 (Mar 13, 2003)

*Wardens*

I have been checked numerous times by wardens, but a little humour here, I had just started to drive out of our lease on my atv pulling my trailer behind, no deer when I went to go through our exit to leave the property, it was pitch dark and he jumped out right in front of me, scared the fruit off my looms, after checking me out he said all was ok, so I began to pull off I guess he didn't see the trailer I was pulling and when I made the sharp turn to go out the trailer ran over him and knocked him down, I thought for sure I was going to jail, but he just jumped up and brushed himself off and laughed it off, he checked me several more times before he retired and we always laughed about it.:embara:


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## DocB (Jun 27, 2006)

Thanks for all the stories guys. In 20 years I've never seen a GW. I guess they do check from time to time. I know I will definitely be more careful about following the regs completely. To be honest I'm not totally sure of all of Indiana's requirements so I'll be reading every page tonight. This thread is truly archers helping archers and what AT is all about. Every mistake that I could make has been made at one point by someone else. Better to learn from them. The last two years on AT has increased my hunting wisdom by 10 years I bet. :thumbs_up


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## lampasashunter (Mar 2, 2007)

While dove hunting in Uvalde on opening weekend of the central zone last year, I was checked three times in one morning by the game warden. I did not realize that my oldest son was throwing his birds on the chair with mine. When I saw the GW coming I looked over and saw all the birds. I was worried because that would be ticket city. Fortunately, when he counted I was still one under the limit. I reamed my son for that one. The GW was already not very happy. As he stood talking to me and my son a bird flew directly overhead. He pulled up and shot at it. The GW was not in danger of being shot, but he did not have ear plugs in his ears. I'm sure his ears were ringing. Neither me nor the GW expected the shot.


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## coelkbowhunter (Jul 16, 2006)

*wardens*



buckmark23 said:


> Do you show him all your tricks that you pulled on him over the years?


NO I DID NOT.BUT HE DID ASK ME NOW MANY DUCKS I SHOT ONE DAY WHEN HE WAS WATCHING ME HUNT AND HE WAS THERE ALL DAY.ALL I SAID WAS I COULD NOT GET ANY MORE IN MY WADERS. HE HAD MY BACK 2 YEARS AGO WHEN I NEEDED HIM.HE IS A GREAT GUY AND A GOOD FRIEND NOW.


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## buckmark23 (Jul 1, 2006)

I asked my father if he was ever checked in his 40+ years of hunting. He was checked several times duck hunting and once deer hunting.

My dad had a truck for 13 years and everyone new his truck. He purchased a new one and drives to the camp to go hunt. Everyone thought they had a poacher and called the GW. The GW waited for 2 hours next to the truck trying to catch the poacher. My dad walks up and tells Randy(the GW) hello. When he seen my dad he was so disappointed. He really thought he was going to catch someone. He laughed and talked to my dad for a little while then went on his way. Randy said he couldn't believe he wasted 2 hours waiting on my dad.



Thanks for the stories and keep it legal guys and gals


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## buckmark23 (Jul 1, 2006)

ttt


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## Zendik (Dec 8, 2006)

I've had two spinal surgeries so a few years ago in Oregon I had a medical marijuana card from the state for chronic pain. I was out in the woods parked alongside a logging road medicating when a State Cop drove by and blocked me in with his truck. I continued with my business. Officer gets out of his truck and sniffs around and asks what I'm smoking, I say medical marijuana and he says let me see your card, ID, hunting ,license and tags. I hand them all over to the guy and he starts checking out my arrows and broadheads which were all legal. Then he asks me how I can hunt while smoking pot to which I answer I couldn't do it without it! So he runs my name for warrants and all that jive, I come back clean and he tells me to have a nice day! Gotta love it!


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## jcsanders79-xt (Aug 28, 2007)

I call BS here:spam:


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## slinger09 (Oct 11, 2004)

I was busted by a game warden but it I did not receive a fine. I was skinny dipping with his daughter and he was none too happy about it. I was 15 at the time and that was the first time I was scared for my life.


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## Zendik (Dec 8, 2006)

jcsanders79-xt said:


> I call BS here:spam:


Spam huh? Didn't know this was a bulk e-mail advertisment. So I guess you are calling me a liar? I'll never figure it out how people that don't even know eachother would call such a thing on someone....
Anyway. This is all the proof you will get. 

DHS OMMP means: Dept of Human Services Oregon Medical Marijuana Program


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## bowhuntntxn (May 1, 2006)

interesting thread. i noticed there were mostly midwest/western states represented. I have been checked at least 3 times this year by GW all while dove hunting in different spots. got checked last year twice by Federal Game preserve officvers, and even had GW walk into our camp tent one night a few years back. They are everywhere doing one of the most dangerous law enforcement jobs on the planet. cause everyone they deal with is usually armed. never got a ticket or even a warning. liscence fees are a lot less than the fines!!


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## buckmark23 (Jul 1, 2006)

slinger09 said:


> I was busted by a game warden but it I did not receive a fine. I was skinny dipping with his daughter and he was none too happy about it. I was 15 at the time and that was the first time I was scared for my life.


The best and worst experience of your life:wink:


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## buckmark23 (Jul 1, 2006)

Zendik said:


> Spam huh? Didn't know this was a bulk e-mail advertisment. So I guess you are calling me a liar? I'll never figure it out how people that don't even know eachother would call such a thing on someone....
> Anyway. This is all the proof you will get.
> 
> DHS OMMP means: Dept of Human Services Oregon Medical Marijuana Program


I think my brother-in-law is still waiting on his card but he started without it:zip:


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## gobbleinwoods (Aug 11, 2007)

three times that I remember. Twice in GA and once in NEB. Had the CO come into our deer camp once in GA and then the other time was a road/drivers license check. Often in GA they have the CO's there as they have more 'I can look anywhere I want under suspicion of a game violation' than the local sheriff can without a search warrant. In Neb. once while pheasant hunting. No problems.


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## skipper34 (Oct 17, 2006)

Here in Michigan we had a great spot up in the "thumb" to hunt ducks. There was a CO, an older gent, who lived not far from the marsh that we hunted. This marsh was part of a state game area open to hunting. Each evening while we were pulling out he would show up and wave his badge and demand that he see our ducks. Each time we cordially invited him to inspect our take, knowing full well that we were always within the law. It is as if he was always waiting for us, hoping that he would catch us violating in some way. He was always very thorough with his routine, down to the size and type of shot we used in our ammo. It was almost like he was sad when he would finally give us the a-o-k and leave.
One time I can remember that he showed up without uniform, just plain clothes, and wanted us to go through the drill. I then asked him to display his badge, and he couldn't. Apparently, when he showed up in street clothes, he had left his ID in his uniform. Away we went, waving bye-bye, and I think he must have broke down in tears when we left. This is a true story.


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## The Wizzard (Aug 5, 2007)

***** Hunting*

Iv'e been hunting for over 25 years and have been checked several times by law enforcement. Game Wardens, State Troopers, and Local Police. Never had a problem because we we're always legal, but one particular night sticks in my mind. We were **** hunting one night many years ago and we tree'd a **** just off a paved roadway. Being the legal distance from the road and from any residences we shot the **** with a 22 cal. rifle. Well about 5 minutes later a local sherrif came pulling up and questioned what we were doing. Apparently someone called the police thinking we were shooting deer with a light. Not the case at all. After being completely harrassed by the officer and being accused of every illegl viloation in the book, I calmly told him to arrest me and take me jail and we would let a judge decide if we were doing anything illegal. The officer then said he wouuld let us off with a warning but needed to confiscate the **** for evidence. A couple days later we found out from our local fur buyer that the officer who harrassed us stop in to his place and sold the **** to him for $20.00! We happened to see this officer at a local sport shop a couple weeks later and he thanked us for the $20. and bought us each a bottle of coke! What a jerk!


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## foamkllr64 (Dec 18, 2005)

Been stopped many times over the years! Never had any problems theyve always been real nice.But last year It seemed like every time I left this piece of county ground i was hunting...There they were looking to check my licence you would think after the first 3 or 4 times they would recognize your rig and leave you alone!!!I guess theyre just doing thiere jobs.


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## archer1983 (Dec 24, 2006)

never have and never will.....hopefully


I don't believe I should pay the state to hunt my home state....sorry ohio dnr guys out there, won't and never will pay either


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## geezer047 (Mar 11, 2007)

*Busted by a game warden*

Here's my couple of GW stories. 3 years ago I was moving 1 on my stands in the middle of the day. When i got back to my truck the GW was waiting. He said where's your orange vest? I told him I'm not hunting just moving a stand. He check for gun and bow which I didn't have. I had left them back at the house. He said ( which is really a good point ) that I could have been shot just as easy moving the stand as well as hunting and fined me $100. I went to court and the ticket was dropped. The judge said the law states that ALL HUNTERS must wear orange not anyone just walking in the woods. Last year my son was in his stand watching a powerline. The GW pulled up about 300 yds. and looked at him through binos. and drove off. 15 mins. later he came back and stopped again. My son started getting worried that something may have happen to me so he took off his orange coat and dropped it to the ground came down the tree with his climber put his coat back on. The GW met him coming up the powerline and wrote him a $100. ticket for not wearing orange whill coming down the tree. Even tough he had it on in the stand and put it back on when he got on the ground.


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## tigerman (Mar 6, 2007)

*Why????*

Why did he take it off to climb down the tree????


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## posco (Feb 27, 2007)

Yeah...I took the long, slow walk to Officer Friendlies truck once. Bogus bust #$%@&


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## Stanley (Jan 18, 2005)

Been checked, never busted.


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## geezer047 (Mar 11, 2007)

*Busted by GW*

He took it off to undo saftey belt and dropped his coat to the ground.
Charlie
BTW this was in SC


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## MattSmith4 (Sep 18, 2006)

skipped school one day with a buddy, went out to the woods to go four wheeling. this ranger comes flying down this dirt road towards us, i mean he was moving he hit a few bumps and had his truck airborne. my buddy and i were like o crap whats he doing. he comes sliding up jumps out gun drawn and has us get out hands up and makes us hit the ground. he cuffs us and searches the truck. we had a .22 in the back and a spotlight buried in the very back of his bronco. that combo got us a phone call to our folks. that was not fun explaining to my mom why is wasnt in school and why i was in cuffs. he made my mom and buddies dad come get us and let us off with a tresspassing warning. he explained to our folks that he was actually staked out trying to catch a guy who had been poaching the area recently and happened to be driving a bronco like my buddies, thats why he came up so fast and gun drwan etc. now that i look back and remember that day it sure was fun being a kid:wink:


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## oddan (Oct 5, 2006)

Been hunting my since I was a kid. Dad worked shift work and weekends and did not get to take me much. When I was 12 years old I would walk out to the Rod and Gun club at the lake and help the ol timers wash and tie decoys every Sept. It was a special smell and feel in the air. Fall was coming. I learned at an early age the tricks of being illegal and that who killed the most was the best. I learned how to bait ducks and beat the Warden. I was taught how to hunt the refuge and kill geese with a small caliber rifle after "settin them up." I was arrested one time but all they could get me for was tresspassing. I wanted to be the best Out Law hunter around. Then while snipping geese in a refuge I alarmed the flock. As they took off I saw 2 Wardens walking my way. I hid by covering myself in buck brush and sitting in the cold water water with my waders on and almost getting full. I heard both of them walk by and promised myself if I get out of this one I would quit being illegal. They passed and I kept my promise. I had been checked many many times and never caught over the limit. There are tricks to do it. It got to be a game.
I stopped waterfowl hunting and took up bowhunting. At that time there were not many bowhunters and I learned how to hunt instead of just kill. I now make every effort I can to stay legal. I never get checked any more but am always prepared. I enjoy hunting much more now without looking over my shoulder. The Warden is alway welcome in my camp and treated with respect now. They really have a thank less job.


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## bigrackHack (Jun 11, 2004)

A game warden was driving down the road when he came upon a young boy
carrying a wild turkey under his arm. He stopped and asked the boy,
"Where did you get that turkey?" 
The boy replied, "What turkey?" 
The game warden said, "That turkey you're carrying under your arm." 
The boy look down and said, "Well, lookee here, a turkey done roosted
under my arm!"
The game warden said, "Now look, you know turkey season is closed, so
what ever you do to that turkey, I'm going to do to you. If you break
his leg, I'm gonna break your leg. If you break his wing, I'll break
your arm. Whatever you do to him, I'll do to you. So, what are you gonna
do with him?" 
The little boy said, "I guess I'll just kiss his butt and let him go!!


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## old Graybeard (Nov 3, 2005)

bigrackHack said:


> A game warden was driving down the road when he came upon a young boy
> carrying a wild turkey under his arm. He stopped and asked the boy,
> "Where did you get that turkey?"
> The boy replied, "What turkey?"
> ...


:set1_rolf2::set1_rolf2::set1_rolf2::set1_rolf2::set1_rolf2::set1_rolf2:


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## buckmark23 (Jul 1, 2006)

bigrackHack said:


> A game warden was driving down the road when he came upon a young boy
> carrying a wild turkey under his arm. He stopped and asked the boy,
> "Where did you get that turkey?"
> The boy replied, "What turkey?"
> ...



That is hilarious:laugh::clap:


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## WayBeau (Feb 21, 2007)

The only time I've ever been checked was when I was duck hunting, both in Virginia and Mississippi. Never have gotten a ticket. Almost got one in Mississippi. I was out setting a blind and didn't have my license on me. I had been skeet shooting that morning and had my gun in the back of my truck. Well, when I came back to the truck, I moved my gun into the front seat with me (unloaded) so I wouldn't get it wet from my waders. This warden tells me that while I was setting the blind he was looking at my truck and didn't see my gun, so I MUST have taken it with me. Well, after about 30 minutes of talking it over I was able to convince him that I really hadn't taken my gun and he let me go. Stressed me out to no end. I really thought that I was going to have to go to court and fight it. Thank goodness that it didn't turn out that way.


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## CountingCoo (Oct 5, 2007)

Been checked many times and I am always happy to see them. Only negative experience was with a Tennesee game warden that I dealt with when reporting a poacher. I got the impression that he wasn't at all interested in pursuing anything despite the fact that I was willing to give an eyewitness report and supplied a tag number. Basically just a lazy ass.


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## dewayne405 (Jan 3, 2007)

*Most are ok guys with a thankless job...*

I have had good luck thus far with our OK Game Wardens... Most of them are pretty good decent guys/ gals, I am sure there are a few bad ones... But those don't last long here, they get reassigned to Little Dixie and seem to disappear...

Most recent was last week... I was bowhunting on public land about 3/4 mile back in and had the GW jump and push 4 deer right towards my stand... I was able to shoot a nice fat doe... He saw the shot, and helped me track her the 85 yards in some terrible brush, and helped drag her little 140 lbs fat butt out of the woods. Even tagged her as checked, so I could go home instead of taking a 30 mile out of the way trip to the check station. He never asked for ID, license, or tag... 

In 2005, I had this same GW assist me in dealing with some anti-hunters on this same public area. They kept riding horseback through the woods where they knew hunters where in the area. 
When the loud mouth female of the anti group, complained swearing it was her job to protect the helpless animals, I inquired of the GW..."What sort of tag do I need to shoot a horse out here?" GW response : "None... Horses are in season year round, as this area is closed to all horse travels, and riding, and they are non-game animals..." 
Sure was nice seeing Ms. Anti's jaw hit the ground... All she could do was stammer as I discussed proper shot placement with GW in order to ensure a quick clean kill on a horse...

The best part: GW cited all 4 for trespassing on a closed facility (closed to all activities not involving hunting), as well as a little known state law of harassing a hunter. And then proceeded to impound their vehicles and horses... I tried hard not to laugh... but couldn't hold it in... Was afraid I'd pee my britches if I did...:darkbeer::darkbeer:


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## ButchA (Mar 6, 2006)

12ozd said:


> Never been checked, honestly don't remember ever seeing one.(ever)
> 
> Have buddies that have though


Same here... _{knocks on wood}_ :wink:

Hunting: Never been checked. Ever. Then again, where I hunt a CO would have to hike 2 miles up a mountain ridge, down through a few ravines and mountain streams, and into the heavy brush.

Fishing: Checked once in my whole lifetime. I was fishing with my daughter who was 14 at the time (no fishing license needed under 16). I had my license and my daughter didn't. This a.$.$.hat of a CO got all nasty and rude and looked at my daughter like she had no business fishing with me and said, "14? You sure? She looks pretty 16 to me..." Man, I wanted to smack that CO something fierce - but I knew all too well, I'd end up going to jail in a heartbeat. :mmph: This was back in 2000 and I showed him my retired US Coast Guard ID Card and told him I was retired, and my daughter was born in 1986. He decided to leave us be after getting us both angry.

Like others have said, some CO's can be cool. But then again, others can be real bass turds.


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## Yamahog12 (Sep 3, 2007)

I own about 94 acres of woods and swamp, but I didn't own a 4-wheeler until last year. About 8 years ago, I had killed an 8-pointer during the first week of gun season, but I only bowhunt. So I borrowed my neighbor's wheeler and went and got the buck. I pulled out onto the side of the road and traveled the 500 feet from his d-way to mine. As I pulled into my place, a game warden followed me in. He checked the deer and the tag and we were BSing about hunting. I told him I had already filled my archery tag with another buck and this one I also shot with my bow. He congratulated me and went on his way.


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## kerusm (Sep 14, 2007)

buckmark23 said:


> I have never been checked by a game warde/CO but I wanted to know if any of you have been. A really good friend was telling me that he was check 3 times in one weekend while hunting the same property. Have you ever been harassed(sp) by a GW? Be honest and tell us if you broke the law in some form or another. No one on AT will give you a hard time:wink:.


Just stay away from Bassfield and you should be ok


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## helmet (Jul 27, 2007)

*wardens*

I've had a terrible experience with a warden in Breck. Co., Ky. The guy lives across the street from where we hunt, and has tried to run us off. They changed the tag rules a few years back and we failed to fill out tags before we moved carcuss. We thought we had till midnight. The two does were hanging in a tree 20 ft. from the road, it was obvious we weren't trying to pull a fast one. So he wrote us up. What got to me was he called us poachers. He also said we could not use atv's, and lied about where his prop. corners were. We ended up calling the Ky. Dept. to let them know they had a John Wayne on their hands. He harrassed us for 2 years.


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## hoss01 (Jul 7, 2006)

*Been Busted befor.....*

Growing up in a VERY rural area all we did was drink beer and shoot EVERYTHING..The game wardens use to chase us around but never really caught us...BUT about 10 years ago I got in my cousins truck to run hogs with dogs and we were riding in this area we new a big hog had been seen and the dogs started going crazy in the dog box and winded something so we both leaned out the windows and shined our flash lights in the ditch looking for tracks and a GW lit us up... He was on us fast. He gave us both tickets for hunting deer out of season $525....I was not hunting deer that night. I was breaking the law by shining off a road. There was not a spot light in the truck just little flash lights. I guess they just caught up with me for all I did in my youth....But I have been headed down the right conservation path for about 10 yrs now....


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## AR_Headhunter (Aug 17, 2009)

FL-HNT-N-FSH said:


> been checked several times but i always follow the law so i dont worry


Same here. Never had a ticket for any game or fish violation.


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## swtchback (Oct 21, 2005)

ck'd once after we came out from trailing a doe my budding shot in eagle Creek State Park in IL. We all were legal so no issues.


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## Horizontal Hunt (Mar 23, 2007)

I have been checked quite a few times over the years. Last year along I was checked three times while bowhunting Connecticut as a nonresident. Probably because the truck had out of state plates. Each EPO was professional and pleasant. I had forgotten to sign my license and he gave me a pen and said that I needed to sign my license. I am sure he could have given me a ticket but he didn't. They have a tough job IMO. Nearly everytime they stop someone they are stopping someone that they know has a loaded firearm. 

Bob


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## jlmorasco (Aug 15, 2003)

Was checked one time bowhuting on SGL56 and he WCO and his deputy damn near ran off the road while making a Uturn. Ended up I had 2 tags that weren't mine and the other extra tags that I did have weren't signed, (damn). I grabbed all the tags after I got them back in the mail and put them in with my license and I got caught.
Went to court, lost, and paid roughly $400.
Sucks but my mistake, and the kicker was I was an instructor for Bowhunter Education too.


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## Teh Wicked (Jul 30, 2009)

I have been searched by the FL FWC several times while offshore fishing. But I have never been searched by the game warden.

My little brother in his hellian days got busted by one. Spotlighting deer, He shot a decoy and had to pay a $2500 fine and no hunting for 3 years!!!


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## capt ray (Jan 16, 2006)

I was hunting private land in Georgia. I was in a shooting house on a gas line. I saw two guys way up the power line. They started walking down towards my location. I took off my orange vest and hung it out the window of the shooting house to let them know I was in there.

When they got close I got out to see what they wanted, they were both law enforcement. They asked to see my license which I presented to them. All was in order. They gave me a citation for not having on my orange. I explained why I took it off. They were real jack *****es and would not listen to my reasoning. Cost me around $75 if I remember correctly.


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## THE GENERAL (Jan 10, 2008)

Checked 1 time in 16 years and I wasnt to happy at the time either. Well I should have been I got a 5 point first day. My girlfriend (now wife) was the first time EVER in the woods along with me to hunt. I forgot my knife and drag rope so its wasnt pretty draging it by the horns. I drug the deer for over and hour and a half about a mile. Get back to the truck and I am sweaty, tired and mad at myself. I told my wife to take my gun (unloaded no bullets with in 10 feet) she props it against the truck and I didnt see it. Then the wardens pull in 2 of them one young wanna be warden and an older warden. The young guy is looking all around for anything the old guy shoots the **** with me and checks the deer. The the young guys like whats this and points to my gun and I told him that I didnt know my wife put it there. He said you got it loaded and I told him no and said check it. He picked it up and worked the lever a couple times and I was standing there holding the clip in my hand the whole time. He looks at me as I am waving the clip around and the older warden starts laughing and tells him to put the gun back down and says have a good day sir and congratulations on the buck. I just started laughing and said thanks.

Thats the only time I have ever even seen a warden in my neck of the woods. I dont break any major laws yeah I prop my unloaded gun against my truck but thats about it.


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## Martial Archer (Jun 8, 2003)

I have been check by DNR plenty of times. I have never had a hunting related infraction. The only issue I've ever had was a warning for not having a fire extinguisher on my boat.

Life is much simpler when you obey laws, follow rules and try to do the right thing!


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## TMKBRLLC (Jul 6, 2008)

Been checked more times than I can remember. Mostly by state wardens and occasionally by federal wardens. Mostly duck hunting but also fishing, small game and deer hunting. They are out there to write you up so have everything in order.


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## Tom_in_CT (Mar 11, 2008)

I've been checked a dozen times or so in the last 13 years. especially duck hunting, got checked 4 times last season alone. luckily, i always had everything i needed


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## KickerPoint79 (Jan 18, 2006)

I've only been checked once while fishing a few years ago. The game warden bowhunts the same property I do, so I don't have much problem!
I'm all legal anyway.


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## FredGarvin (Aug 24, 2008)

Many years ago a buddy shot robo-deer on the side of the road one night. Then after the deer didn't go down, he shot it a second time. I don't remember exactly the penalties, but now adays discharging a firearm off the side of a road is a big no-no and would land you in some pretty hot water.


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## junglerooster1 (Jul 23, 2009)

a few years ago the state of maine adopted a special archery season. when it first came out there wasnt that much info in the law book about which areas. so i shot a deer in the special season and tagged it, then in gun season i shot another deer. while i was tagging the 2nd our local warden showed up and asked me if i had already killed a deer and i said yes then every law abiding hunters worst nitemare he said "we have a problem". i explained to him that it was an honest mistake he said i realize that the rules arent that clear but i have to write you a summons. well he took my deer and wrote a ticket. the court date came and the court had lost the ticket so the warden had to write me another one. while in the courtroom the judge wanted to throw the hammer down on me(loss of hunting privs 1 yr and 3 days in jail plus a 1000.00 fine) and the warden stood up and told the judge it was a honest mistake and a 200.00 fine would be enough. i felt bad because the judge commenced to ripping him a new one, i later told the warden how much i appreciated his standing up. 6 months later he gave me my antlers off my illegal deer and told me how much his family enjoyed the deer meat!!!


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## xwinderx (Aug 8, 2009)

Been checked many times, never busted.
Got a talking to about leaving my license in the car about 100yds away in the goose field, forgot my wallet when I got out of the truck.


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## xwinderx (Aug 8, 2009)

bowhuntntxn said:


> interesting thread. i noticed there were mostly midwest/western states represented. I have been checked at least 3 times this year by GW all while dove hunting in different spots. got checked last year twice by Federal Game preserve officvers, and even had GW walk into our camp tent one night a few years back. They are everywhere doing one of the most dangerous law enforcement jobs on the planet. cause everyone they deal with is usually armed. never got a ticket or even a warning. liscence fees are a lot less than the fines!!



Been checked dove and goose hunting here in TX.
The GW's seem to be all over those forms of hunting down here.
Not really a big deal since I always have the licenses.


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## shootem (Aug 26, 2009)

:been checked before most game wardens are good people, i new one very well. he told me some stories that would fry your brain. beleive me there just doing there job and it makes it good for everybody..:wink:


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## Donald Bennett (Aug 23, 2009)

I was lucky when I live in IA. The two warden in my area were friends. We had gone to DNR meeting together and town meeting on the Federal lake I lived on. I have had them stop me on the road out hunting, but it was just to shoot the bull. They never checked me for a permit or any thing. I have been at a lot DNR meeting as president of the state archer ass and knew most of them in the state. Here were I live now I have never see one, but I obey the NE laws so have no problems if they want to stopping me. In fact I would thing they are doing there job.


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## abps1 (Feb 11, 2006)

I have never seen one in the woods.


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## LCA (Apr 20, 2009)

been checked a bunch always been legal... heck i have driven up to them before and initiated the conversation... if you are up front with them they are cool.


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## 25years3Martins (Jun 19, 2009)

been checked 10+ times, only 1 close call...and it was almost on my mom...LOL. While Pheasant hunting in Utah, My brother was 14 and I was 12, we bugged my mom enough to take us hunting. Well...apparently "hunting" with your kids does not mean sitting in the car watching, from 1-500 yards away...LOL... The game warden politely knocked on her window and asked if she was with us... after saying yes, asked us to come over and informed us of the law, which pretty much ended any chance of hunting with mom. This guy could have put us through the wringer...however, he was awesome and gave my mom kudos for even taking us out at all...:darkbeer:


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## reezen7 (Jul 7, 2009)

no violations ever but harrased alot last year on my own land bowhunting.  better not happen again this year...


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## ruffme (Aug 4, 2005)

I get checked all the time ice fishing...they ride around on snowmobiles and roll right up on ya....never any problems....I do some work for the DNR so I keep my nose clean...

Last winter a buddy and I were out fishing early one day...we set up using the truck lights....a couple hours later....this big 4X4 comes stormin across the lake and the sheriff gets out...
he says someone reported us breaking into fish houses....we laughed and said we've been sittin here for two hours and haven't gone anywhere near a fish house....he says "Ya you don't look like the type to cause problems." 
He took our driver's license #'s and left....never checked for ANY game violations nothing.....the only thing we can thing of was there were a lot or breakin reports on the news at the time and someone had a weird angle from shore and got paranoid and called us in to the sheriff....the funny part...the sheriff said he had to call for a truck and he had to wait about an hour so he could get out on the ice and not get stuck! LOL...


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## plk72 (Aug 23, 2009)

*michigan co fooled by deer decoy*

i hunt a state piece in mi and i had my deer decoy in the back of my truck still put together and the head was hangin out on the side of the box i was driving out and i seen the green truck coming towards me the co blocked the road to get me to stop instead of turning his lights on needles to say the decoy works on co's to gota luv it


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## ruffme (Aug 4, 2005)

archer1983 said:


> never have and never will.....hopefully
> 
> 
> I don't believe I should pay the state to hunt my home state....sorry ohio dnr guys out there, won't and never will pay either


 Are you saying you don't buy a hunting license?


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## G20 (Jan 31, 2008)

25years3Martins said:


> been checked 10+ times, only 1 close call...and it was almost on my mom...LOL. While Pheasant hunting in Utah, My brother was 14 and I was 12, we bugged my mom enough to take us hunting. Well...apparently "hunting" with your kids does not mean sitting in the car watching, from 1-500 yards away...LOL... The game warden politely knocked on her window and asked if she was with us... after saying yes, asked us to come over and informed us of the law, which pretty much ended any chance of hunting with mom. This guy could have put us through the wringer...however, he was awesome and gave my mom kudos for even taking us out at all...:darkbeer:


Sounds like a great mom. My dad has never hunted but when i was 13 he would get up before daylight and take me to the woods and sit in the car where i was squirrel hunting.


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## seeya (May 8, 2009)

*game wardens*

checked alot every year but never a ticket; have to stick by the law can't afford a ticket; plus alot of young people watching what I do must be a good example to them


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## Deemer (Aug 11, 2009)

I'm a CO in Indiana and can tell you that most of the time when hear a far out story about a game warden it is usually about 30% truth. 

I was talking to a guy one time and he told me a story about a CO checking him during turkey season. He gave me the CO's name (which happened to be me) and told me that he (or I) slipped up behind him while he was sitting against a tree calling birds, tapped him on the head with my .45 and asked him to see his license.

I do have to say that some of the best stories and the most entertainment that I get is watching people shoot a deer decoy. Decoying ducks and turkey is fun, but not near as fun as decoying people. :wink:


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## ruffme (Aug 4, 2005)

Couple years ago I got in a wreck one night in the metro area coming home from a hunt. When all the BS was over the sheriff asked if I had anyone to call that could pick me up.. I said my wife was at a wrorkshop and unavailable...
He was gonna leave me on the side of the road in full camo! LOL...
I asked if he could take me back to police station or something where I could wait, he said no...I forgot what the reason was....

Finally he says, I'll take you to a gas station nearest the county line but I can't cross the county line...OK...so I go to get my bow and he goes NOPE..leave it with the truck...it will get towed and locked in a lot...it will be safe...
I say NO WAY am I leaving my $700 bow for some tow truck driver to take...he agreed..

Well we get to the SA and he goes "there ya go"....
I say, can you go in and tell the attendant why there is a guy in full camo with a bow standing outside...."Oh ya might be a good idea."

Well I'm standing there thinking...now watch some PETA bit** will pull up and start going off on me...well never did...
The attendant came out and gave me a cup of coffee...wife showed up....picked me up...what a night....


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## Orion1 (Jan 7, 2005)

I have been checked once duck hunting, never while bowhunting. I also, checked a game warden once myself. I live on a dead end road and my nieghbors were out town for a week. I saw a strange truck go down the road past my house to their house. The truck was down there for quite awhile so I got my truck out and blocked their driveway to see who it was. It was the game warden he was checking there deer stands. He was great said he used to be a cop and appreciated that I was looking out for my nieghbors, He gave me his card I still have it in my wallet. I came in handy when I hit deer and had to track it into a park, the warden even helped with the tracking.


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## plk72 (Aug 23, 2009)

you wanna see some unethical hunters go on you tube whitetail poachers and watch them get fooled by robo buck


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## plk72 (Aug 23, 2009)

plk72 said:


> you wanna see some unethical hunters go on you tube whitetail poachers and watch them get fooled by robo buck


its under deer poachers on a news station in southern indiana


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## wicked1Joe (May 19, 2009)

In 42 years
Once in Arizona dove hunting, I was about 16...all legal
4 times fishing in Arizona....all legal

Once in California fishing for catfish one night..all legal

Never been harrassed, all encounters were very polite and courteous.

Never been checked here in California for hunting (YET) in 14 years...


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## mark j (Jun 18, 2005)

Man, somebody dug down real deep to find this thread...


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## Idaho Bison (Sep 25, 2008)

Been checked by Game Wardens more times than I can count. It helps to not break any laws. Lately I have gotten to know a few as I am a Liason between my department and the IDFG.


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## Blacktail Hunter (Jan 17, 2004)

Checked for the first time ever 2 years ago. Opening day of archery season at first light, I had my wife and kids with me. He checked all of our tags and license's, gave my wife a little grief over her tag being a little torn....but no big deal. Whole process took 10 minutes.

About two hours later, we run into him again. He waves and I ask him if he wants to check us again. He laughs and says no. Less than 200 yards after we pass him, a bunch of deer cross the road. I get out and shoot a nice little 3x2 blacktail. The Warden pulls up behind me, helps me track the deer, validates my tag on the spot and drags the deer to the road for me. After doing all of this, I jokingly ask him "What, you aint gonna finish the job? Load him in the truck!"


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## SpeedPro (Jul 25, 2009)

I hunted the Davy Crockett National Forest in east texas for 18 years straight and every year would apply for a doe tag in a lottery type deal. Odds were about 1 in 3 of getting a tag. Well, one year I'm reading the new game rule booklet and low and behold does are legal in that county that year. The book says you can take up to 2 doe between these dates and after that bucks only. So my buddy and I went down for the opener and the 1st evening I dropped 2 does and he dropped 1. We cleaned them and took them to a local store with a cooler. End of the trip and we go to collect our deer and here comes the game warden. Tells us they're only legal on private property and not on the national forest. I told him the rule book didn't differentiate, just said they were legal between such and such dates and then proceeded to show him several other county listings where the book did say not legal within these boundary's or on this wildlife management area etc. He's adamant, we're in violation and he doesn't give a damn what the book says so he takes our deer and writes up our tickets. My buddy paid his but I went to court and fought mine. The judge just told me does would never be legal on public land and I should have known better but he did cut my fine in half because the wording in the game book was not clear for that county. In the end, those 2 does cost me $500 in legal fees, $250 in fines plus a day off from work and the gas for 2 200 mile trips. My lawyer didn't say more then 10 words in my defense (he was a local). I won't say what I did the following years to compensate myself for this trouble. It was clear from the get go that I was considered a trespasser in their forest and nothing more then a walking wallet that needed a good fleecing.


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## Huff/MO (Dec 9, 2008)

I've been checked countless times... some of my hunting buddies aren't so lucky. In 1996 I would swear that two of my friends help balance the IL state budget $50.00 at a time.


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## CT... (Apr 12, 2007)

a game warden told my dad that he was going to go down the hill where his elk lay and if it didnt have a tag on it he was going to write him a ticket... my dad is in a wheelchair and could not tag it right away, he had just killed it and i was just going down to tag it. then the warden told him he needed to see his licence, it was in the back of the truck in his chair the warden told him HE had to get it and this was after he knew he couldnt walk, wouldnt let me get it for him or anything. i beleive he may have lost his job after my dad talked with his boss.


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## backcast88 (Mar 7, 2009)

It seems like every time I go hunting I get checked by the Game Wardens. Never had a problem or any tickets.

I did go duck hunting with a buddy of mine a few years back and as we came back we saw the Game Warden's boat had broken down. So we towed him back in to the boat dock. Then when we get there he checks everything. Guns, shells, licenses, and safety equipment. He said we where good and started to walk away but stopped and turned and asked to see our whistle. My friend left it in the truck and he wrote him a ticket for failing to have all the safety equipment. He then proceeded to tell us how unsafe it was for us to not have a whistle. Ain't that some BS.


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## tyepsu (Jun 9, 2007)

I have very little to nothing good to say about game wardens. Every single one I have met has a chip on their shoulder and spends more time harrassing law abiding hunters, rather than going after serious offenders. I have seen countless times wardends trudging across law abiding hunters lands to just harass them without any suspicion of wrong doing by the hunter. I would rather they just stay sitting at the doughnut shop. If they only did things like going after poachers and people who are harming wildlife then I would not have a problem with them.


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## gdcpony (Oct 16, 2007)

You guys will love this:
First: My brother and I were shooting crows and a GW pulled up on us. No biggie right? He asks about another bird that was dead and I fess up. He asks for ID and I hand him a DL and my brother hands him a Military ID. Well, the next thing you know my brother is the worst thing on the earth and jarheads think they can get away with anything, and we need to get it through our heads that we don't run the world.... and on and on. About the time he started turning red in his tirade my brother did what Marines do best; attack! He started in on that GW and dressed him down to make any DI proud. His ending statement "we're the ones that defend your right to be that F-ing fat" made me just put out my hands for the cuffs.
He finds my brother had put a rifle away and the bolt had slid closed (not locked just closed) and the black bird I shot was a non-game bird, and we both (not sure what I did) got obstruction. Paid the fines and I did 24 hours community service. Yard maintenance and the director of the retirement home had my guns returned so I could shoot g-hogs of the grounds. Guess who returned them? And imagine his surprise (he made the comment that rifles are useless without ammo anyways) when I opened the buttstock of my NEF Survivor and pulled out two stripper clips of ammo.
He got fired for some call he made to my brother's unit that was far from truthful, and we had the cellphone on to our family as we was going off on my brother.

Second: I took a Sgt who had never been yote hunting out for an evening. We got one and he wanted the skin (first one), so with no knife sharp enough with us we throw it in the truck and head back to the barracks. We inform the duty NCO (a friend of the Sgt) and he tells us to skin it out over by the dumpster. Sure enough PMO (police on a Marine base) pulls up and thinks we're skinning a dog! They go to the duty even after we tell them what is up, and he says it's okay he knows. Not liking that they go up one level to the Staff Duty and he informs them that he would have gone with us if he had not had duty to do. Still meeting a road block they call my Company CO. I worked in the company office while waiting for my next phase of training, so he had told us to go to hunt! When all was said and done we were told to dispose of it off base. So we went right off the front gate and threw it upwind about 30yds on my CO's orders. Boy, did that get interesting after a day in the desert sun!

Third; not nearly so entertaining, but a lesson learned. I drug a deer from two electrical towers (the big ones on hilltops) across the hills and though brush and briars, and when I got close to the road I had to throw the deer across a creek (yearling). Of course, it started to fall back in. I jump across pull it out, and as I get it in the truck I turn to see the GW. He was polite and I showed the license, but when I confidently went to flop the ear with the tag out from under the deer's head, it wasn't there. Thankfully, he saw the ziptie where it had been and I had another antlerless tag. He let me put it on. My father-in-law passed the knowledge of stuffing it IN the ear and closing it in to prevent future problems on rough drags.


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## wynnbry2000 (Aug 18, 2009)

long story short i now carry a case that will fit all my guns in my back pocket when i go hunt anything with a gun 

i have a buddy who got nabbed for not having his fishouse licence and number on his portable fishouse that was still in the back of his truck no holes in the ice. he even showed the officer the livence ready to be hung on the house. the same CO gave him a warning the day before for not having the licence on it at all while in use.


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## sits in trees (Oct 9, 2006)

been checked a couple times, as long as you have all your ducks in a row it's never a problem:wink:


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## chinnookbuster (May 22, 2008)

I was salmon fishing in new york(black river)with my fly rod(orvis)while alot of guys around me were snagging salmon.The C.O's pulled the whole lot of us and checked for it all.I was pissed,I was in a time crunch,they could tell I wasnt snagging but held me up anyway,then had an attitude with me when it came to my turn showing them my I.D.By the time they finished with me legal light was down and fishing for the day was over.


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## FedSmith (Jul 27, 2009)

We had some scrambled Bald Eagle eggs with manatee steaks once.

I'm not sorry.


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## FedSmith (Jul 27, 2009)

slinger09 said:


> I was busted by a game warden but it I did not receive a fine. I was skinny dipping with his daughter and he was none too happy about it. I was 15 at the time and that was the first time I was scared for my life.


Pat MacManus.:wink:


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## FedSmith (Jul 27, 2009)

I've been checked in _DIRECT proportion _to how many women I had on the boat.

Never been cited, but I've been sighted.:wink:


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## sva9843 (Apr 23, 2008)

I've never been checked but I always try to play it safe just in case!


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## Guest (Aug 28, 2009)

I was given a stern talking to when the buck wasn't properly tagged. Stuck the tag to the antler instead of doing the string through the ear routine. All was well. Warden just advised me to practice the correct way all the time because the next guy might not be as understanding. The warden was right. The next time I was checked, in a different county, the warden made a comment that IF this particular deer wasn't tagged through the ear, I would have been knee deep, come on.


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## buckhunter1983 (Aug 2, 2009)

Ive been checked by a drunk game warden here in east texas during duck season. He tried to give me a ticket for no plug in shot gun while duck hunting. I was hog hunting with a rifled 870 slug gun and had no steel shot what so ever, just 12ga slugs. Needless to say that a call to the local sherriff while me and the game warden were arguing helped that situation. He lost his job and was arrested for DUI.


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## JOE DIRTAY (Jun 8, 2007)

Stopped a couple times deer hunting. Never a problem. Pride myself on doing things right, so not too concerned.

Actually glad to know someone is out there checking.


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## Yichi (Dec 18, 2008)

I usually get checked 4-5 times a year. The game warden usually stops by the boat ramp near our lake house where we put in to go deer/duck hunting/fishing.

He's a super friendly guy and knows us all by name. Have talked to this guy for the last 12 years, even went bass fishing with him on 2-3 different occasions. We (family and friends we go hunting with up there) even have his personal cell phone in case we ever have a problem and need his help


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## FULL-BORE (Nov 29, 2003)

I 've been checked a lot in Coloradne year we were checked four times all by different co's in one week.


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## Donald Bennett (Aug 23, 2009)

I was hunting out of state once in Missouri and the warden stopped at are camp to shoot bull he was a bowhunter too. When he lift I look down on the ground and there was some keys that he dropped. We were there for a couple more days and he never came back. I dropped them off at a little gas and grocery store in town that they said he comes into all the time for lunch. I never ever herd if he got them back hope so. Look like one key was for his personal truck and maybe a house key.


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## MHansel (Jan 8, 2005)

Never been checked yet, but I'm not worried too much, I'm hunting on my own land:darkbeer:


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## jrip (May 19, 2008)

I've been checked twice fishing on the Muskegon river. The first time the steelhead were running and the local CO checked every other fisherman BUT me. It was SRO on the riverbank so he had to have checked 30-40 people. The next day I was back fishing the same spot and he passed by at least a dozen times in his boat. This day Im the only one there so he decides to check my license, and I proceed to tell him what he did the day before. He laughed and said "I dont doubt it I was kinda busy yesterday". I have ran into him at least 3-4 times every deer season since, he has not checked my license (hunting or fishing) since then either. But we do exchange info on hunter locations and deer locations, tell each other good luck and happy hunting then we go about our business. I hunt the deer and he hunts the hunters.


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## Gary in Ohio (Jun 29, 2009)

I've only encountered 1 game officer. I was squirrel hunting and scouting for deer in KY in June. I was walking down a gravel trail. He came by on a dirt bike. He checked my DL and my HL. We talked for a few minutes. He told me about a couple of good spots to look for deer. He said they have an ATV but he likes the motorcycle better. So he uses his own bike and they pay for his gas. It was no big deal. He didn't have that "cop" attitude.


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## Hunter2678 (Jan 16, 2008)

I've been checked many times while out duck hunting. Last time a buddy and me were checked while sitting at least a 1/4 mile out in the cat tails. GW came up behind us and checked us both on the spot. All other times have been when we were getting back to the truck. :set1_thinking:


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## Fantail (Jul 9, 2009)

Got checked while fishing near Brewerton. My friend and his son were on the banks and these guys pulled up in a pickup, trying to look like fishermen. Well there was about a 1/2 dozen other 'people' in the area that got tickets. Some had illegal keeps, out of season or to small. The three of us were clean and didn't get any tickets. Of course we were the only ones that had licenses too.


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## Dextee (Jan 4, 2007)

I got a $75 ticket 2 years ago...
I went to hunt a spot on a frendly farm...and low and behold I see a salt block about 100+ yards on down the feild edge..so I ask the farmer about it..he says he don't know anything about it....so I go and remove it as I know it's Illegal to have out..so I come back a more than a week later to hunt it. All is well....A few days later I get a call AT HOME from the game warden to come down to the police station to ask me a few questions..so I do...He asked about the salt..I said I didn't know anything about it 
Then he goes on to tell me who's it really was..( another guy that HAD permission to hunt the property)...and tha he watched me walk in and hunt the field edge a 100yards away...and since it was on the 9th day of the 10 day "considered baited" he gave the ticket. I proceded to call him ever name in the book....BUT I since apologized in person. Still next time...I WILL JUST LOOK AWAY.


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## Bowjoe1972 (Oct 29, 2008)

I took a doe 2 years ago a kinda friend of mine says he and this other guy are processing deer and he said I will cut up your doe for ya so I agreed to have them butcher it since I was coaching football and not having time to do it myself.. Plus they offered to make me some jerky for free.. 2 months later get home from football game theres a card on my front door from a Game Warden saying I need to contact them.. I call he asked if I can head over to the state police barracks.. I go over and see him he asked if I took a doe . I said yes well they wanted to know what I did with it I told them that a friend butchered it for me well I always tuck the tag deep in the deers ear because I had them rip off on the ride back to the house I find just the graument left so He says who and what so ever and tells me my deer head and about 50 other deer in parts were dumped off the road by a golf course.. and mine was the only one with a tag.. I know nice friend.. So nothing ever happened to me I havent been in contact with him again I know they had to come up with some tags and a littering fine.. But that was my only run in with them...


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## flydigital (Sep 29, 2008)

Although I've had a few conversations with some very cool GW's in various public/private hunting areas, never been checked .. yet...


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## natural born k (Dec 30, 2007)

i got stopped years ago for not having a orange hat on. he went to his truck and gave me a pa game commission hat. no ticket. their not all that bad here in pa.


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## KOZMAN4907 (Sep 23, 2004)

*Well lets see looking back.....*

At 16 years old I got written for trout fishing in approved trout waters before opening season.... 

Here is the story. There is a Fish hatchery in the Pocono MTS. That a stretch of stream that is open to year round fly fishing. Ok I read this in the PA fish digest. Talk my father in making the hour ride up from home. ( dad never got into fly fishing). He would walk around and take pics and walk the dog. I am a newbie to fly fishing and this spot. I meet some guys on the stream and I did my best but only was able to scare the heck out of a few fish.

Now as we were walking back to the truck I see some HUGE trout ( like swiming footballs):tongue: I do one on the most ugly roll casts into the pool and by the grace of god one swam over and took my fly. (Muddler minnow)

Now after the thrill and dad gives me a pat on the back I am getting pics holding the fish.....

This LUNCH MONEY VICTIM of a Deputy fish warden flys up in a old Ford Bronco. He has his red "Bubble gum light" flashing and exits his vehicle and checks us. He gives my dad a raft of crap for not having a licence. He was not fishing. And then writes me the ticket.

Long story short I take a hearing. I win the hearing, for the stream was not posted as it should have been. It was deemed that a reasonable person would have thought it was part of the "open water". The deputy got a raft of crap from my dad and the judge.

Now I feel that this guy was a shamoe and I do not think all are like him. I know and fish/hunt with other LEO. Being a police officer I see some Lunch money victims on the job at times. I don't really hang with those type.

I have been checked as an adult several times with out a problem. I have worked a few case(s) with out state guys and they were great! I love setting up on some guy wacking deer w/ a .22 and then taking his gun/truck/anything esle he used to the crime!!! They cry . Oh man don't take my gun. oh no not my truck..blah blah. Nothing puts a bigger smile on my face than watching a crook cry. maybe some poo on a tree stand. but that is another story:zip:

Koz


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## bigbucks (Dec 30, 2008)

slinger09 said:


> I was busted by a game warden but it I did not receive a fine. I was skinny dipping with his daughter and he was none too happy about it. I was 15 at the time and that was the first time I was scared for my life.


Hahahahahahaha LOL


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## mr_evans2u (Feb 27, 2007)

I took my dad duck hunting a year or so after lead was outlawed, well I had a lot of lead 4 shot left over and wanted to get rid of it so I put some in my pouch. We had some good shooting and the GW came out to check us. Had to unload the shells in my gun and 1 shell out of my pouch so he could check to make sure we were using steel. I was lucky and had nothing but steel in my gun and the shell I pulled out of my pouch was steel too. My dad said I was acting strange after the GW left, I told him what I had done. Needles to say I took those lead 4 shot out. I didn't like that feeling so I follow the rules/laws now.


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## danielgri14 (Sep 30, 2008)

I have been checked prolly about 10 times all for fishing... Worst encounter was when me and my friends where catfishing on the bank and GW showed up and check are licenses then saw about 15 shad we were using for bait. He told me they were bass and that was illegal. I told him he was an idiot and get a fish identification book. He was sort of mad about me calling him an idiot but i never got a ticket cause he finally realized they were shad.


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## PossumKicker (Jun 8, 2009)

Checked several times, most memorable was on a caribou hunt near Sparevahn Alaska a game warden flew over and then landed right beside us in a supercub. He even made us take him back to the carcasses to make sure we were packing out ALL the meat and not just the antlers.


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## benton (Apr 7, 2006)

My buddy got a ticket for crossing a waterway in his truck, We where parked in the dried up creek bed to get closer to the water. He walked all around our truck and never got his feet wet but thats how it goes.


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## uryc (Oct 14, 2006)

I can say I have seen good and bad. The good is the guy we have now. I ran into him duck hunting public land a couple of times and he was cool, we talk about deer hunting and I mentioned a few poaching problems we have had. Then a couple of years ago he stopped as we were loading the truck from duck hunting and checked us. Probably would not have but he had a new guy with him. I had left my hunting license in my shirt from deer hunting the evening before, then came the gun. I was shooting an old A5 Browning I had just picked up that year. He slides 3 shells up the magazine and then the 4th goes in. I about **** my pants. Now the license was an honest mistake but I should have known better than not to check out the gun. It had the old factory plug which must have worn a bit in 30+ years. Anyway I explained about the license and he verified I had one by calling it in. I also told him how stupid I felt about the gun and the truth that I had never even tried an extra shell. He ended up giving me a warning for it all. 

Last fall he caught a neighbor about a mile away red handed loading a poached buck in his truck. This guy has a dozen PY quality deer hanging in his work shop. Funny thing is the guy paid his $1500 in fines 2 days after the tickets were written. I think he got the right guy huh. 

Another good one. Had another warden stop me one day coming out of public duck area. Looked at our birds then asked if we shot any we lost. I told him yes but even the dog could not find it and that I swore it was down hard but we never found a feather. Found out a week later he was in the area behind a couple guys watching them and they winged out several high birds and never looked for them. He wrote them both for wantan waste. 

The bad: We had a CO several years ago that could not catch a dead fly. We had a problem with someone sneeking into one of our ponds and had reported it but no luck. Until we put out home made spike strips. Went to check on it one afternoon and they must have gone out the back when they heard the diesel coming. They left so fast they left their boat in the pond. We took it home and went to dinner, came back and it was gone out of the machine shed. Come to find out the nieghbor boys dad called wondering about his 4 flat tires. Funniest part his buddy with him was the CO's son, guess whos boat it was. Well at least he was able to catch one person before he was removed from the county.


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## T-Rage (Aug 24, 2009)

while fishing i had one guy check me four days in a row. i said if i see you tomorrow im getting my lawyer and suing for harrassment. i hate them all.


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## bowman_bob (May 8, 2007)

Dredly said:


> Something I've always wondered... if the property is privately owned why are they allowed to walk on or drive across it without a warrant? Investigating a call by the landowner would be enough but investigating a complaint from some random person shouldn't be enough for the Wardens to come onto your property...


From my experiance with the CO's through a school work program, if there is a complaint it gives the officer reason to acess the area legally. look at it from both sides if complaints arent investagated nothing will ever get set straight


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## soulless (May 22, 2009)

never for me.. Been checked numerous times, but never got busted since i almost never do anything illegal. I never take more than the limit.


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## S_Morelock75 (Aug 17, 2006)

Been checked a few times, never have been ticketed, but never had a reason to be either. Came close one day dove hunting though. Me and my buddy had a good morning and we stopped to double check our count, he had 11, the limit and I had 10, so i went out to take one more. It took about five minutes for me to bust my last dove and as I was walking back I see my buddy waiving me down with a game warden standing next to him. When I got there the game warden ordered me empty my pouch so she could count my birds. The whole time my buddy is trying to convince her he only shot 11 and the one extra he had on him was mine and that he must of picked up one to many by mistake. When my count came out to be 10, one short she lectured us on how she should have given him a ticket anyway. Just as we thought she was going to leave, she said, "I'll let you by with this one, but next time I won't be so nice. Now, let me check your shells and your guns for plugs." My buddy and I stood there staring at each other as she took my overunder, which had been broken open over my arm the whole time, looked at it and said, "I think I need more coffee". She left a little red in the face and we never saw her again.


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## DB444 (Feb 20, 2009)

*Colorado CO*

I went to Gunnison back in 1994 or 1995?? and hunted the mountains for 12 days. I was the only successful hunter in our group of 7 guys on mule deer and I turned my attention to elk. It appears the CO came to camp everyday to check who had got what. he was particulary interested in checking me because I got the buck that was hanging in camp. I guess he would get tired of waiting on me and leave before I came out. I don't remember ever being in camp in the daylight except the day we arrived and the day we went home. The guys that hung out around the camp said he tried his best to check me though. They do a great/dangerous job. On the comical side, I was driving between hunting sites near my home. All of my gear was locked down in cases. I was on this old backroad where I guess there had been reports of road hunting. I rounded a corner and a CO jumped off the bank and jump up on the side of my trucks tube steps and yelled stop!!!! It really spooked me and it's a wonder I didn't poke him right in the eye. Everything checked out and he sent us on our way. Me being a bit on the ornery side noticed that I was setting in a 12" deep mud hole when he checked us. He stood nicely behind the truck smiling as I pulled off. I had to do it, I dropped the throttle a soaked him head to to witha set of 36" Radial Super Swampers. The look on his face was priceless:thumbs_up


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## LiteSpeed1 (May 21, 2005)

I got checked a couple of years ago in Montana. The CO checked my license, asked me the weight of my arrows and checked to see if my broadheads were sharp. Didn't even ask to see my bow.


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## strikekingcw (Sep 13, 2009)

I've never been busted by a game warden. We do things by the book here in MS!


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## Corey B (Sep 9, 2009)

had never been checked by a game warden until last year, and the same one checked me twice on ft. rucker.....i was ok the 2nd time, but the first time i got in a pickle...now it was an honest mistake, seriously, my dad just got me into muzzleloader hunting year before last, and we have always hunted private land, and in alabama everyone knows that muzzleloader season starts a week before rifle season...or so i thought, my mistake of failure to read the fine print was that this only pertained to private land, not public:embara: so i wound up with a $75 ticket for hunting with an illegal firearm, but the GW was very nice about it, and believed that i made an honest mistake but had to give me the ticket anyway


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## holger_danske (Jan 8, 2008)

never been harassed, but I get checked while fishing at least once/season and a couple times while hunting. They're just doing their job. All the GW's I have talked to have been very nice and I always grill them for info while they're in front of me.

I did run into a bad one that actually lied in court over a citation, but that was many years ago.


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## Joe W. (Feb 6, 2006)

Who brought this back from 2007.


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## Archeroni (Oct 3, 2008)

I took a deer, don't remember now if buck or doe, in gun season a few years ago which is in mid to late November on my own property. Checked it in as Landowner which does not require a license.

On Superbowl Sunday I had a CO show up at my door asking me about my property, where I took the deer etc. Guess he was satisfied. I learned then that the men in green do check, even on Superbowl Sunday no less.....

Since then though I have just bought licenses anyway. It helps the DNR and keeps me out of trouble if I were to have to blood trail onto someone elses property.


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## PorkPursuer (Sep 18, 2009)

*Checked*

I have been checked several times. Most times I was checked was during duck hunting. Just follow the laws and everybody wins.


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## Fritzzer (Aug 27, 2009)

I've been checked a few times as a younger deer hunter. I had a bit of a difference with one when I first started bow hunting. I was hunting a track or woods that I was unfamiliar with. Found a great funnel between two ponds and at dusk had so many deer around me, including two nice buck, that I didn't know how to extricate myself without blowing the site. I waited them out for awhile so as to have another chance at the buck in the future. I also took the precaution of walking out a certain way that was away from my car in order to leave less scent. The GW waiting at my car was not happy with me 'hunting after dark'. It was beyond me that anyone would or even could hunt after dark with a bow so I didn't really appreciate his assumption concerning my woods exit. I did and still do appreciate all GW's do for our sport and I think he understood that as I was respectful and not argumentative. He sent me on my way.
To this day I am still nervous if I wait out any deer and exit the woods after dark.

Never understood why it is fine to enter the woods well before light but you can't stay after dark????


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## OneArmArrowSlinger (Jul 25, 2008)

The only time I was checked, and I use that term very friggin lightly, is when I was in high school. My cousin & I were dragging a doe out that I had shot w/ my dad's 3 wheeler, we got to the road & there he was, out of his truck waiting on us. He asked to see our licenses & checked the tag, all the while being a complete jerk off, then he proceeded to tell me and my cousin that we couldn't drive the atv out of the field entrance, 50 yards down the road & turn into the barn b/c it wasn't a licensed vehicle. He actually shut his truck off and MADE me & my cuz shut off the ATV & PUSH IT W/ THE DEER ON IT DOWN TO THE BARN. He followed us the whole way on foot w/ his ticket book in his hand ready to write a ticket if we started it. We get to the barn yard and w/ a huge grin say, ok boys, you can go ahead and drive it to the barn now, real smart arse like. IMO thats just abusing your power. If he wants to check tags & such I'm cool but he crossed the line by pulling that crap, still makes me angry to this day.


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## donedealtim (Dec 17, 2008)

*couple times*

I never got checked until 2 years ago then all of a sudden I got checked 4 times in one year! Didnt bother me though because I am always legal. One time I couldn't find my license while duck hunting so I just told him to call it in. He said that he couldnt verify if I had my duck stamps or not by calling it in. I just said do you think I would be hunting right next to the fricken road if I wasn't legal? Then I apologized but I was mad because the ducks were landing in the decoys while he was checking us. I found my license after he left it was in my shell bag! All of the ones I have encountered aer nice and im glad to have them around


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## buddhaman (Jul 28, 2008)

Almost every year we run into an officer.We've never been harrassed.


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## poacherjoe (Sep 15, 2009)

I'll bet you guy's like my user name huh?Well you guessed it I have a story to tell,One hunting season the F&G set up a sting with the mechanical deer decoy.This individual that I will not name new about it and he snuck in at night and stole the decoy!! I thought he was full of BS but it now sits in his backyard and he shoots it with regularity!!! LOL:darkbeer: PJ


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## RNT (Feb 28, 2007)

Dean Bower said:


> I went to Gunnison back in 1994 or 1995?? and hunted the mountains for 12 days. I was the only successful hunter in our group of 7 guys on mule deer and I turned my attention to elk. It appears the CO came to camp everyday to check who had got what. he was particulary interested in checking me because I got the buck that was hanging in camp. I guess he would get tired of waiting on me and leave before I came out. I don't remember ever being in camp in the daylight except the day we arrived and the day we went home. The guys that hung out around the camp said he tried his best to check me though. They do a great/dangerous job. On the comical side, I was driving between hunting sites near my home. All of my gear was locked down in cases. I was on this old backroad where I guess there had been reports of road hunting. I rounded a corner and a CO jumped off the bank and jump up on the side of my trucks tube steps and yelled stop!!!! It really spooked me and it's a wonder I didn't poke him right in the eye. Everything checked out and he sent us on our way. Me being a bit on the ornery side noticed that I was setting in a 12" deep mud hole when he checked us. He stood nicely behind the truck smiling as I pulled off. I had to do it, I dropped the throttle a soaked him head to to witha set of 36" Radial Super Swampers. The look on his face was priceless:thumbs_up


priceless!!!!!!


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## RNT (Feb 28, 2007)

poacherjoe said:


> I'll bet you guy's like my user name huh?Well you guessed it I have a story to tell,One hunting season the F&G set up a sting with the mechanical deer decoy.This individual that I will not name new about it and he snuck in at night and stole the decoy!! I thought he was full of BS but it now sits in his backyard and he shoots it with regularity!!! LOL:darkbeer: PJ


This gets a priceless as well. However I would delete this post. You might get a knock on your door to find out who this individual is.:spy:


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## thumperjack (May 22, 2009)

bigrackHack said:


> A game warden was driving down the road when he came upon a young boy
> carrying a wild turkey under his arm. He stopped and asked the boy,
> "Where did you get that turkey?"
> The boy replied, "What turkey?"
> ...


 that is too cool!!!!!!!


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## bearkiller1 (Jan 31, 2009)

The first time I bear hunted in Canada we had a game warden come to our table in a restaurant and ask to see our licenses. My first thought was to say "I didn't know I needed a liscense to eat breakfast in Canada" I thought better of it and showed her my license.


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## OhioBuckslayer (Sep 4, 2009)

lol when i was 15 1/2 some guy out in this field driving around told the game warden where i was at....so the gw came up to the fence line pulled out his binocs and told me to hold up my permit ( at the time i didn't need my hunting liecense) and told me i was too young to be by myself, so he came over to my stand and helped me get down. then i had to go get my uncle who was hunting about 150 yards away....he also walked up on my dad and brother when they were turkey hunting....we were all legal so no harm done other then a day wasted.


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## fitfarms (Aug 24, 2009)

*Busted*

I got a ticked for having my shogun loaded 2 min. after legal shooting time. 
The day before i emptied my gun in the field and droped a shell in the mud so the next day I waited untill I got to my truck and he was waiting there for me to check my gun. It was 2 min. late so i can not complain. And the funny thing was he never asked me if I had a license or not or to even look at it. Of course I did but I thought that it would be the first question.


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## FLDXT (Feb 15, 2008)

Some good some bad...down here in FL. The majority of my checks were good, but we had one winner for a while.
I had to check cows one night, after an employee left hay string on some round bales. My boss called me and told me to ride out and make sure nothing was choking down. My boss was out there at about 10pm loading some more round bales on a trailer. I was in my truck with a spotlight, bymyself. I always carried a rifle, because we have a problem with mushroom pickers (not the ones you put on pizza) at this place, and they can get a little different. We had permission from the local Lt. of the FWC to shot hogs at night because they were so bad. I was in shorts and sandals in my truck shining, heading for the gate, when I see this little man hiding behind a palmetto bush. I stop with my lights on him and yell to him. He jumps out like I didn't see him holding his gun and light on me like I just shot at him. The thing about it is the gate he came in is one of the only dry spots around the area adn at night a big group of cows beds right by the gate. We are about 500 yds from the gate, and he reading me the riot act about a light and a gun, when he says, "Well we better head back to the gate I left it open". He started walkling carrying my rifle and about 200 rounds of ammo from various guns, I jumped in my truck and hauled butt to the gate just as the first cow was leading the rest out the gate to the hard road, got them all turned in the nick of time. What an idiot, he was extremely rude to myself and my boss who finally came to see what was going on, I never got a ticket because the Lt. was familiar with us and he got in trouble for almost letting 100 head of cows onto a busy county road at 10pm. I don't mind being checked but come on, that is just comon sense.


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## kerusm (Sep 14, 2007)

Here is a good story. With all due respect to all GW's I did have one run in one night that is interesting. I was 17 and my dad bought me a jacked up fine renegade jeep. Everybody loved this thing and always wanted to ride with the top down amd listen to the great sound system.
This was in Leakesville. MS about 24 years ago. We decided to go riding down stateline road and see if any big bucks were in the fields. It was about 9:00 pm. No guns, no spotlights etc. One of my pals had to pee so we pulled over. Was there for just a few minutes and blue lights appeared coming straight to us. GM jumped out all pissed and was shouting at me to get out of the jeep. I did so and gave all the respect to law enforcement as I have always and how I was raised to do. This guy was out of his mind!! Jumping around, shouting, etc. He wanted to know where the guns were. No guns. He wanted to know where the spotlights were. No spotlights. He searched the jeep and wanted to know what the wires were running around the floorboard to the back. I told him it was speaker wires and wires going to a amplifier. he didnt believe me and started jerking them out. I didnt take to this well and informed the GW that he was destroying my sound system. He said to bad. I said ok and kept my mouth shut. He didnt find what he was looking for and eventually let us go. I drove straight to the Sheriffs office and filed a report of the incident and had them take pictures of the damage. Im still not sure what happened but the next day my dad made a visit to the Sheriffs office and when he returned he instructed me to go have it fixed, bring him the bill and the GW paid it. He retired not long after that.


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## Teh Wicked (Jul 30, 2009)

My little bro got the shaft by the Game Warden several years ago...

After I joined the military and shipped off he was still in the back woods of WV. of course he started hangiung with the wrong people and doing sumb stuff. So one night him and his buddies decide to go out drinking and what not and try and kill a deer. Well problem is, it was after midnight. So here they go driving up every back road known to man looking for deer in the field. Well they come around the corner and there stood a 10 point about 75 yrds up the hill. They break out SWAT style and Andrew gets lined up on the target. His buddy flashes the light and a mighty crack errupts from the 300 Win Mag. quickly after the crack of the gun a very loud bullet hitting metal sound comes back and the deer never moved...HAH! Game Warden was right behind them at this point with a couple state troopers. DUI for my brother and also the Game fines. the other guys got off a little easier.

I laughed at him and told him thats what he gets for being a dummy and trying to cheat...


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## LiteSpeed1 (May 21, 2005)

Teh Wicked said:


> *My little bro got the shaft by the Game Warden several years ago...*
> After I joined the military and shipped off he was still in the back woods of WV. of course he started hangiung with the wrong people and doing sumb stuff. So one night him and his buddies decide to go out drinking and what not and try and kill a deer. Well problem is, it was after midnight. So here they go driving up every back road known to man looking for deer in the field. Well they come around the corner and there stood a 10 point about 75 yrds up the hill. They break out SWAT style and Andrew gets lined up on the target. His buddy flashes the light and a mighty crack errupts from the 300 Win Mag. quickly after the crack of the gun a very loud bullet hitting metal sound comes back and the deer never moved...HAH! Game Warden was right behind them at this point with a couple state troopers. *DUI *for my brother and also the *Game fines*. the other guys got off a little easier.
> 
> I laughed at him and told him thats what he gets for being a dummy and trying to cheat...


Huh? Sounds like he got exactly what he deserved.


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## Roofy49 (Oct 14, 2008)

I've been checked in NH, MA, and WY. All the GW's were polite, all licenses and tags were in order, so no issues. The WY GW even directed us to the ridge we were trying to get to.

I was checked once while fishing with my young son on Fathers Day many years ago. We were on my in-law's dock, my 4 yo son had a pint sized folding chair and a mickey mouse rod and reel. I was helping him fish for pan fish but had no license. He left for the cottage for a drink. Yep, he left the line in the water, the bobber went under. Being a good dad, I set the hook and waited for him to return. The GW got there first. I told him the story and pointed my son out at the house. He took my info, handed me his card, and told me I had 7 days to buy a license and mail it to him. And to NOT take my son out again until he sent my license back.


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## Backlash (Feb 18, 2008)

I've been checked numerous times in my many years of fishing and all kinds of hunting. Never got a citation and although I didn't always agree with their actions, I never had a real problem. 
I wish there were more of them in areas I know of in North Central Kansas where poaching is running rampant. Poaching has really hurt the deer population out where I used to live.


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## montona78 (Feb 20, 2009)

dont game wardens/dnr have more authority than state cops? ive seen them pull people over for driving errors etc. ive been checked a few times. everything was fine. only problem we had was we were hunting on my aunts land and my pop is hunting the field edge and looks over to his truck and the warden is inside our truck searching and looking around. isnt that illegal? he was actually sitting in the driver seat! lol. kind of invasive! my dad gets down and runs over to him and asks what the hell he is doing and he needs to get out of his truck and he does. he then proceeds to check my dads lic. lol. what a D ick!!!


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## Teh Wicked (Jul 30, 2009)

LiteSpeed1 said:


> Huh? Sounds like he got exactly what he deserved.


Oh I completely agree that he did...Thats why at the bottom of my posted I said I laughed at him. he lost his license till he was 21, $5,000 in fines from the Game Warden and on top of all the the fines and court costs for the DUI... I never asked him what the final bill was for that act of great mind power, but im sure is was up there. Hence why he probably doesnt drink anymore...HAH!


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## Teh Wicked (Jul 30, 2009)

montona78 said:


> dont game wardens/dnr have more authority than state cops? ive seen them pull people over for driving errors etc. ive been checked a few times. everything was fine. only problem we had was we were hunting on my aunts land and my pop is hunting the field edge and looks over to his truck and the warden is inside our truck searching and looking around. isnt that illegal? he was actually sitting in the driver seat! lol. kind of invasive! my dad gets down and runs over to him and asks what the hell he is doing and he needs to get out of his truck and he does. he then proceeds to check my dads lic. lol. what a D ick!!!


Game Wardens are Federal authorities...They have the same powers as an FBI Agent... They can travel anywhere in the state without any jurisdiction problems, and on coastal states they can travel offshore into the ocean as far as 200 miles and check your boats.


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## Squawsach (Apr 26, 2008)

I get checked for tag and license once or twice a year. No big deal. If the game wardens in Oklahoma start writing tickets for legal braodhead length, Oklahoma bowhunters are in trouble. Half the broadheads sold in Oklahoma are illegal.


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## trebor69 (Jul 31, 2005)

Teh Wicked said:


> *My little bro got the shaft by the Game Warden several years ago...*
> 
> After I joined the military and shipped off he was still in the back woods of WV. of course he started hangiung with the wrong people and doing sumb stuff. So one night him and his buddies decide to go out drinking and what not and try and kill a deer. Well problem is, it was after midnight. So here they go driving up every back road known to man looking for deer in the field. Well they come around the corner and there stood a 10 point about 75 yrds up the hill. They break out SWAT style and Andrew gets lined up on the target. His buddy flashes the light and a mighty crack errupts from the 300 Win Mag. quickly after the crack of the gun a very loud bullet hitting metal sound comes back and the deer never moved...HAH! Game Warden was right behind them at this point with a couple state troopers. DUI for my brother and also the Game fines. the other guys got off a little easier.
> 
> I laughed at him and told him thats what he gets for being a dummy and trying to cheat...


drinking...driving...spotlighting...shooting from a road....poaching etc etc

and he got shafted eh?


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## MrMikeK (Mar 14, 2015)

Couple questions:

My buddy and I were recently out fishing and were confronted by a busy-body who stopped his truck and proceeded to tell my friend, "Hey dude....this stream is restricted....". I didn't hear the conversation but it was a quick encounter from my vantage point. My friend did ask this guy if he was with Fish and Game but he replied "No, but I know those guys....". He was a real douche-bag and it sounded like he didn't like being questioned about his supposed authority. So the guy gets back in his truck and pulls up behind my friends truck and stops; I would guess because he's getting the plate numbers and vehicle description. He then drives off. We were about finished anyway and my friend was pretty pissed with the confrontation so he wanted to get out of there. So we packed up and drove off, as well.

Neither of us knew that the stream was off limits. I checked the F & G website days ago to see if there were any closures/restrictions but didn't see any. I guess it's still our bad if there were.

My questions are: 

1 - Are we likely to hear from a Game Warden after the fact? Again, this guy was not one and we did not have any confrontation at the site by a warden or ranger in an official capacity.

2 - There is an anonymous tip line in my state that one can call, but what can that really do in this situation? It's essentially this d-bag's word versus ours, right? Even if said d-bag had a photo of the truck's plates, what does that prove? He might of just been some disgruntled guy that we pissed off for whatever reason trying to get back at us.

Ultimately, we will do a better job in the future of knowing what is closed and what isn't. But this whole situation is still pretty annoying.


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## pro38hunter (Jan 20, 2006)

We get checked every year during duck season. My favorite involves a buddy during his first duck season. 

Donny is in his late 50's only hunts one week a year during our duck camp. His first season he was wired as can be to get on some birds. Opening day he was the only one to kill anything, he had water swatted 2 wood ducks and he was thrilled with himself! Coming off the lake for lunch, there were 4 wardens waiting on us. We all unload the boats, and start the process of getting out our license, shells, etc. Ol' Donny comes walking up the bank with a birds in each hand and grinning from ear to ear. One of the wardens asks if he killed the birds, and of course he says yes. Donny digs out his license and stamps for the officer, and we all realize he only had one stamp... No Federal stamp, and two birds laying at his feet! The officer was really nice about it and gave him a $150 "fix it" ticket, basically if you can prove you bought the stamp within a week, we will wave the ticket. We now do a stamp check the evening before the opener every year!


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## stillern (Feb 1, 2005)

My cousin got a $120 ticket on opening day of trout season in ny for using a spinner with a treble hook. He was 14...the officer was a bag.


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## stillern (Feb 1, 2005)

Try to get an ECO within 100 miles when you have a trespasser.


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## nyturkeyduster (Aug 5, 2006)

I've been checked several times duck hunting and fishing, never had a problem and the officer was always polite and respectful.


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## deerhunter3241 (Jun 7, 2004)

Been checked more times than I can remember it seems. On land and on water. I get they are doing a job they are paid to do, and since I follow the law I have never been cited during a random check. However, every single one I've encountered in four different states were all a-holes. They routinely abuse their powers in relation to search, seizure, and trespassing.


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## WEEGEE (Oct 13, 2007)

if you haven't been handcuffed to the tailgate....you ain't hunting hard enough!


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## Geauxhunter (Jun 4, 2014)

Had a game warden here in Tennessee write me a out a ticket for being over the limit on mallards.. I had 4 greenheads a black duck and a Pintail.. The limit on mallards is 4..... I told him I only had 4 and he proceeded to tell me "that sir Is a black mallard" and pointed to the black duck. I went ballistic because a warden should atleast be able to identify ducks.... and he threatened to have me arrested. I finally talked him in to calling a higher up and he got in his truck and turned as red and just threw it in drive and sped off.. Never gave me the ticket, I bet he was embarrassed.


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## Tugman (Jun 22, 2013)

Teh Wicked said:


> Game Wardens are Federal authorities...They have the same powers as an FBI Agent... They can travel anywhere in the state without any jurisdiction problems, and on coastal states they can travel offshore into the ocean as far as 200 miles and check your boats.


Um, no, game wardens are STATE authorities. Only FEDERAL game wardens are FEDERAL authorities.


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## Creed18 (Apr 9, 2014)

Was stop & checked for license coming out of woods on private property. Was me & my dad 2nd day of gun season. Got asked why gave him a bow license. Explained that I was carrying a bow. That I had tagged out first day of gun with 150" 10 point so was carrying bow to get a doe. Indiana is one buck state. CO just couldn't understand why was carrying bow in gun season. Well bow was still in too. The license also threw him for a loop. have same first & last name as my dad & CO asked what was deal with both our license having the same name & address. Had to explain that this was my dad & was named after him


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## Billy H (May 20, 2012)

Got stopped by the GW for spotlighting once. I used to check a few fields on my way to work in the mornings. I knew you couldnt spot after midnight but it just didnt regester with me that 6AM was still after midnight my bad. He gave me the third degree searched me, tore apart the cab of my truck, looked in my lunch box ,the whole nine yards. Said they were having poacher problems in the area. Imagine my chuckling as I drove away knowing that he never looked under my tonneau cover and the bed of my truck. I would think if I were a poacher thats where the deer would be. Got a warning in the mail about three weeks later.


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## pinwheeled (Apr 27, 2008)

I love these threads


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## df06 (Jun 9, 2007)

Never been checked bowhunting in 35+ years
Been checked while bird or rifle big game hunting in 
Montana, Saskechawan, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, North Dakota, & Wyoming
The Canada guy was an A1 jerk, all the others were fine'
No citations with any of them


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## Squirrel (Aug 6, 2008)

Billy H said:


> Got stopped by the GW for spotlighting once. I used to check a few fields on my way to work in the mornings. I knew you couldnt spot after midnight but it just didnt regester with me that 6AM was still after midnight my bad. He gave me the third degree searched me, tore apart the cab of my truck, looked in my lunch box ,the whole nine yards. Said they were having poacher problems in the area. Imagine my chuckling as I drove away knowing that he never looked under my tonneau cover and the bed of my truck. I would think if I were a poacher thats where the deer would be. Got a warning in the mail about three weeks later.


Technically the law is "Recreational spotlighting is lawful between sunrise and 11 p.m" unless you weren't in Pa. So you probably got the warning for spotting before sunrise. We took my nephew spotting last fall because he never went and it was 10:25pm and a game warden stopped us and told us it "was about time to wrap it up" we told him we had 30 minutes left and he followed us for the next 30 minutes to make sure we quit on time and didn't shine any houses, buildings, etc. Sometimes you meet one with a chip on their shoulder.


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## Mathias (Mar 21, 2005)

I'll take the minor inconvenience if it leads to more of the cheating, lying, poaching slobs getting caught.


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## grander (Mar 19, 2009)

Of course I've been checked.. No issues.
Been in cuffs for no reason by the police more times than I can remember but the worst of them all are the DOT Police. Those jokers look at life backwards.


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## Squirrel (Aug 6, 2008)

Mathias said:


> I'll take the minor inconvenience if it leads to more of the cheating, lying, poaching slobs getting caught.


Heck yeah, I agree. I have a very good friend in law enforcement and have a lot of respect for the job. I was just saying sometimes, like everybody, you catch one in a bad mood or with a bad attitude. It happens. It's best to just be polite and get through the experience as smoothly as possible. I know a lot of guys who immediately get an attitude and then complain later the guy was a jerk. I am always polite and respectful and it goes a long way I feel.


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## Mathias (Mar 21, 2005)

Not a worse time in history to be a LEO. Look at our society, what makes headlines daily, the sheeple that follow current trends just to fit in, facts be damned.
It all trickles down from that POS that occupies the high office here


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## brushdog (May 11, 2009)

I get harassed by a federal warden all the time, but he is a good friend of mine so I'm sure he is just getting even Lol. I love getting together with him and hearing the latest stories of his work. Simply amazes me how dumb some "hunters" are and honestly it's a little scary knowing some of these people in the woods are actually carrying weapons!


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## Horses&Hunting (Oct 10, 2007)

Never been checked while hunting. But I have been while fishing. Was shore fishing in pa. Watched the fish commission pass by in there boat. Little while later they pass by again. They came back again very slowly looking at me through binoculars. They yell out asking to show my fishing license. I held it up while they looked at it.


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## d3ue3ce (Jul 2, 2009)

I cant ac5ually count how many times I have been checked...deer hunting, fishing, duck hunting, etc...never had an issue with a game warden and never gotten a ticket. Id much prefer the 10 mins of inconvenience to check legalities. Makes me know they are out there doing their jobs.


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## BtwchInvasion (Mar 16, 2014)

Only time I wasn't obeying a law is when I was 17 my buddy told me a part of the river was open to hunting and not part of city limits believe my friend at the time we hunted thy morning and sure enough the warden was waiting at out vehicle at noon... Really nice guy he said he has been seeing this time and time again and has been pressing the state to put signs up at this locations with no success. So he gave us warning and told us to check the city boundaries a little harder. Good guy


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## Flatwoodshunter (Feb 3, 2013)

I have heard that Arkansas has a New Law prohibiting Wardens from doing random checks for Hunting and Fishing Licenses.


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## Elite fanboy (Dec 11, 2011)

Checked once by a NYS police officer when I was pretty young. Was waiting for me when I came out of the woods. I was hunting a family friend's property and he was having problems with trespassers. I showed him my permission card and he was fine. It was a cold afternoon and the officer invited me to sit in his car and warm up until my buddy came out of the woods.


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## talon1961 (Mar 13, 2008)

Flatwoodshunter said:


> I have heard that Arkansas has a New Law prohibiting Wardens from doing random checks for Hunting and Fishing Licenses.


I was checked two weeks ago while fishing from the banks of a local stream. I had my .22 holstered on my side. This was on a wma. Everything was legal and the officer was very professional. He just asked if I had caught anything and asked if he could see my gun. He was interested in the holster that fit my Ruger 22/45 with rail and reflex sight. I buy my hunting and fishing licenses together so I always have them with me.


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## OxMan80 (Jan 25, 2015)

I got stopped once when I was 19 sneaking to the lake with my honey. Gave me a MIP and made me pour out my beer. Darn rooster blocker. lol


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## okiebob (Jul 11, 2014)

I have had the pleasure of meeting quite a few Oklahoma GW and they are absolutely some of the best Oklahoman's I have met, as long as you are on the right side of the law. Helpful, courteous, and genuine. When I lived out in Southwest Oklahoma, I was chasing a big prairie buck and the GW I saw on a daily basis was more excited about me getting that big buck than I was. He offered some tips and tricks that ultimately helped me get the buck. Good people.

In Missouri a couple years back, we had a new GW in my hometown with a Napoleon complex. The little fella was waiting for me when I came out of the woods and questioned me about my tags on my truck. I had backed into the spot where I park and the genius had noticed I had no license plate on the front of my truck, which is not required in Oklahoma. He accused me of taking off the front tag in order to conceal my identity, after getting that straight he proceeded to check my hunting tags and just generally being a little prick. The lady at the store, having known me all my life, had accidentally sold me a resident tag at first but we fixed it and I bought the correct out of state tag. While explaining this to him he accused me of trying to rip the state off and lying to him. He kept calling me by first name and after his little rant I corrected him and told him to address me as Sir. He then turned his attention to my rifle, a pre-64 Winchester model 70, 30-06 w/ a fixed 6x Unertl, I had put it in the front seat when he started in on me. He asked me if it was loaded and I answered yes. He never asked me to unload it when he started questioning me, so. He asked me how I got such a rifle and when I told him that my Uncle had built it for me and it was really none of his business he got all kinds of fired up. He started telling me he was going to give a ticket for having a loaded firearm in my truck and so on. After rolling my eyes so hard I saw my own brain, I asked him if we were done here and he writes me a warning for the loaded rifle in the truck. The little prick got transferred two months later. I was not the only one he decided to pull his little man crap on and he had numerous complaints filed against him that year. I filed a complaint bc of his attitude over something that should have taken five minutes turning into a forty-five minute ordeal.


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## robampton (Nov 24, 2004)

I think every time I have ever broken a law, I have been caught. I have never been checked deer, turkey or any other big game fishing. But I have been checked goose hunting and fishing and gotten tickets for both. My friends called me up one spring morning to go crappie fishing and it never even occurred to me that my fishing license expired. Just never even thought about it. Yep, got checked and got a ticket. Other one was goose hunting. I did that one knowingly. My brother in law called me the night before he was going hunting and invited me. Back then, you couldn't by the federal stamp online and it was a holiday and nothing was open that sold them. I decided to go anyway and buy my tag afterwords when the stores were open. Well someone reported my brother in law for baiting( it was just people that lived by the field he hunted and didn't want anyone shooting in that field). Well the game warden came out to check it out. He cleared my brother in law, but ticketed my for not having the federal stamp. Got checked while duck hunting at my own property and got checked last year. Sure enough, I had left my wallet at home and my stamp inside. That one gave me a warning cause he said he knew I wasn't dumb enough to hunt at a duck club without buying a stamp. Texted him a picture of it as soon as I got home and all was good.


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## buckshot164 (Apr 23, 2003)

I was checked 8 times one year. Never got any fine but did give me a warning for not enough orange. I easily had over 250 square inches of orange on. He was just mad because they thought they had me with not enough orange on because the person I was with didn`t. The person I was with was from out of state. He walked to the truck and took off his orange cloth vest. Very hot that year. He decided he had to piss so he grabbed his bow and went 20 feet and pissed. Well the game commission drove by and saw him standing there with his bow and no orange. They nailed him without orange. Thinking they had me they called me out of the woods. They figured they had me. They sure did try. So I got checked 7 more times that year. Talk about harassment. They wonder why people have a negative view of them.


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## carbon arrow1 (Jul 9, 2008)

buckmark23 said:


> I have never been checked by a game warde/CO but I wanted to know if any of you have been. A really good friend was telling me that he was check 3 times in one weekend while hunting the same property. Have you ever been harassed(sp) by a GW? Be honest and tell us if you broke the law in some form or another. No one on AT will give you a hard time:wink:.


if your friend was checked 3 times on the same property, the warden was sniffing around from a tip. it doesn't mean it was your friend. it could have been anyone that hunts in that area. goes to show, be careful and think hard before you call the warden on someone. it may ruin your hunting because the warden will be snooping around. I got checked this last year opening day of waterfowl. kinda made me angry since it was only 5 minutes into the season and during prime shooting. I think it would have been more appropriate to wait at least an hour or two into the hunt. I have a buddy that got checked three years in a row in the same tree for opening gun seasons. you think a warden would get a clue after the first time the check happens and the guy is doing everything by the book.


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## carbon arrow1 (Jul 9, 2008)

buckshot164 said:


> I was checked 8 times one year. Never got any fine but did give me a warning for not enough orange. I easily had over 250 square inches of orange on. He was just mad because they thought they had me with not enough orange on because the person I was with didn`t. The person I was with was from out of state. He walked to the truck and took off his orange cloth vest. Very hot that year. He decided he had to piss so he grabbed his bow and went 20 feet and pissed. Well the game commission drove by and saw him standing there with his bow and no orange. They nailed him without orange. Thinking they had me they called me out of the woods. They figured they had me. They sure did try. So I got checked 7 more times that year. Talk about harassment. They wonder why people have a negative view of them.



I'll add, here in WI when the democrat governor was done with his term and we got republican Scott Walker, game violations just like you described have stopped and violations all together reduced a huge amount. the new governor instructed the dnr not to fine people for violations that blatently looked like honest mistakes while the old democrat had them write everyone up for anything to increase revenue.


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## ngurb (Sep 3, 2004)

i wish i had. countless days fishing and hunting in michigan and never been checked. Also the reason that all the people around us blatantly trespass, shoot after hours, over limit, no tags, out of season... 
i wish there there were enough of them to protect the resource. the slobs around us would kill every animal possible in or out of any seasons...


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## patrick2cents (Jan 26, 2014)

So I found out where the only real population of feral hogs in my area was after a run-in with the conservation officer. I was setting up a trail cam and had previously had trouble getting them on camera in the area. I took literally a handful of corn and sprinkled it in front of the cam (outside of hunting season so I thought it was legal). I met him on my way out and he asked if I had put anything in front of it. Long story short, he laughed when he saw what I had set up (I think he thought it was a corn pile in the woods) set me straight on what constitutes baiting and then we got talking hogs.... the whole encountered ended with him taking out a map and telling me all he knew about the hogs in the area. Nice guy.


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## buckshot164 (Apr 23, 2003)

Funny we had a Republican Governor when this happened. Here in Pa that is just how the Game commission operates. You must have done something and we will harass you until we find something. Sure some people deserve this treatment but not everyone. We need them just not the attitude that goes with a agency out of control. To me it is about how can we generate money from hunters. Many of us do make mistakes and they just shove it to us. Your best bet is to never talk to a Game Warden or co. Never trust them because I have seen to many times someone was honest they stuck it to them when they did not need to. They have earned this reputation. I used to think that this was false. Boy have I got a awakening on this.


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## 12-Ringer (Jan 3, 2008)

One year I got checked 5x, all 5 by the same deputy, 4 out of 5 times, I was in the same general area along a power line....just wanted to compare my dirver's license to my hunts license. I was in a climber every time, the 5th time he approached me I rfused to come down...I lowered my ID and hunting license with my pull-up rope. Never really did understand what he was trying to accomplish, but in hindsight he did strike me as one of those shoes who probably failed out of the academy, couldn't get into the military, but still needed to find a way to boss folks around. It was a LONG time ago and since then I have been more proactive, introducing myself in person and in writing to the warden and any new deputies that show up from year to year. We have been pretty lucky in the area that I hunt, not a whole lot of turnover.

Joe


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## JMart294 (Feb 2, 2012)

Never been checked, hopefully never will after reading some of these stories.


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## Honolua (Jun 6, 2013)

bubba101st said:


> Here's a story for ya. A number of years ago there was a GW in Chelan county that was working a mule deer poaching ring. Well it happened that he found them one day with more than enough evedence to but them away for a long time. He confronted them and a chase through the hills started. As they were hauling butt down the forest service roads he shoved them over the bank on a switch back. When it was all said and done, they found 15 illigals (sp) from south of the border and 18 mulieys in the back of the van. All the deer were BIG bucks. The state was so impressed with his work, they fired him for pushing them off the road. I find that to be total BS. The guy does his job and he gets fired for it. It pi$$ed a lot of hunters off.


It was less about the shove and more because he caught illegals that the govt.wants in this country...


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## jmack73 (Jan 17, 2013)

Been caught with a doe that wasn't tagged here in Florida. Put the tag on the deer and that was it. Had a CO in in Illinois give me a call two years after I hunted there to tell me I was in violation of not purchasing a hunting license after I had hunted with an outfitter. I purchased tags but as a disabled vet I told him that it wasn't required by Illinois law. He checked into it and I wasn't fined but the outfitter was fined $250.00 for not filling out the log book properly. All my friends that went with me were fined $250 each as well. I bought the beer that weekend ;(


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## RossRagan (Jan 6, 2015)

I've known a lot of CO's over my years since my father was one. All that I've known have been good guys, enjoy the outdoors as much as you or me, and are just doing their jobs. Did a ride along with my father one summer day when I was 16 and saw a guy fishing with two lines out in a boat about a half a mile away(spotting scope was an often deployed tool of the trade), in Minnesota you can only fish with a single line. We had a canoe on top the truck so we put it in and paddled out to the boat. The fisherman, who had seen us heading toward him, had pulled the one line by the time we got to him and swore that he wasn't using two lines. My father showed him where we had watched him from and explained that he was going to receive a ticket that he would have to go in and pay a fine within the next week. The guy grabbed a boat oar and took a swing at my father's head. My father was not a small man and was able to grab the oar before it hit him and pull it out of the man's hands. Then the guy started crying and I think my father was embarrassed for the guy because he could have taken the guy in for assault of a police officer but instead, after the guy calmed down, severely scolded him for that stupid decision. He explained that it was only a $30 ticket, and told him that he needed to follow regulations because a CO might be watching.


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## Wenty (Jan 6, 2012)

While pheasant hunting.... Checked 3 times in ONE day. By the SAME warden!! Tell me that ain't F'd up...


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## PutnamCountyHunter (Aug 22, 2011)

I've been checked twice. Once while elk hunting in Colorado and once while duck hunting in Indiana. No violations and both CO's were great. No harassment whatsoever. Just doing their job...


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## dougell (Aug 29, 2014)

buckshot164 said:


> Funny we had a Republican Governor when this happened. Here in Pa that is just how the Game commission operates. You must have done something and we will harass you until we find something. Sure some people deserve this treatment but not everyone. We need them just not the attitude that goes with a agency out of control. To me it is about how can we generate money from hunters. Many of us do make mistakes and they just shove it to us. Your best bet is to never talk to a Game Warden or co. Never trust them because I have seen to many times someone was honest they stuck it to them when they did not need to. They have earned this reputation. I used to think that this was false. Boy have I got a awakening on this.


That's not always the case and I would have pushed the issue.I know the majority of WCO's in this part of the state and most are pretty decent guys just doing a job.I just got off the phone with one of them.He had a district down here and transferred to a different district a few years ago.The PGC canned the new WCO and he's back now.The other guy wasn't overly popular.There's good and bad with any type of law enforcement.I'd say the ratio is about 50/50 with the WCO's in Pa.


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## dougell (Aug 29, 2014)

12-Ringer said:


> One year I got checked 5x, all 5 by the same deputy, 4 out of 5 times, I was in the same general area along a power line....just wanted to compare my dirver's license to my hunts license. I was in a climber every time, the 5th time he approached me I rfused to come down...I lowered my ID and hunting license with my pull-up rope. Never really did understand what he was trying to accomplish, but in hindsight he did strike me as one of those shoes who probably failed out of the academy, couldn't get into the military, but still needed to find a way to boss folks around. It was a LONG time ago and since then I have been more proactive, introducing myself in person and in writing to the warden and any new deputies that show up from year to year. We have been pretty lucky in the area that I hunt, not a whole lot of turnover.
> 
> Joe


I have no issues being checked on my way in and out of the woods.If I were approached in a stand with no probable cause,I would file a complaint.Technically,since hunting is highly regulated activity,they don't need probable cause in Pa but a little common sense and decency would go a long way


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## King (Dec 8, 2002)

I was "checked" last season during trout season fishing with my wife and kids. The CO was incredibly helpful. Showed him my ID, license and trout stamp and explained my wife and I were helping my two oldest sons (2 1/2 and 3 1/2 at the time). I don't think he was actually checking me more than telling us that the creek we were fishing along was actually stocked a decent distance away and gave us directions to a hot spot that nobody was really fishing. The boys ended up catching some trout that day thanks to the CO.


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## elite-ish_kinda (Oct 18, 2013)

I don't call it 'harassed" since they're doing a necessary job. Several have been brusk with me, but I figure that everyone who has to get up early and get out in the woods like a fisherman but isn't allowed to be hunting or fishing is allowed a pass for gruff. 
I just try to be polite and give them my info so they can get on with looking for bad guys.


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## rocklock hunter (Jan 3, 2013)

I've been hunting 25+ years on mainly public land and have never been checked. Drove past a "Game Warden" as they're called around here, on the way out of the woods one day and he just smiled and waved.


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## Chadrap (Dec 2, 2013)

Go to lake okeechobee on opening day of gator season if yA wanna get chummy with the man. 3 in the afternoon or 3 in the mornin. He'll be happy to give yA a talkin to.


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## ozzz (Jul 30, 2010)

King said:


> I was "checked" last season during trout season fishing with my wife and kids. The CO was incredibly helpful. Showed him my ID, license and trout stamp and explained my wife and I were helping my two oldest sons (2 1/2 and 3 1/2 at the time). I don't think he was actually checking me more than telling us that the creek we were fishing along was actually stocked a decent distance away and gave us directions to a hot spot that nobody was really fishing. The boys ended up catching some trout that day thanks to the CO.


Thats fantastic.


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## bearkiller1 (Jan 31, 2009)

Got checked once in a restaurant while on a hunt in Canada. Not wearing camo. Came over to our table and asked if we were going hunting, Then asked to see our licenses. Wanted to say "I didn't know I needed a license to eat breakfast in Canada" but thought it better to just keep my mouth shut. Game wardens don't seem to have much of a sense of humor.


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## robampton (Nov 24, 2004)

bearkiller1 said:


> Got checked once in a restaurant while on a hunt in Canada. Not wearing camo. Came over to our table and asked if we were going hunting, Then asked to see our licenses. Wanted to say "I didn't know I needed a license to eat breakfast in Canada" but thought it better to just keep my mouth shut. Game wardens don't seem to have much of a sense of humor.


I guess on the bright side, if something wasn't right you would have had a chance to fix it before hitting the woods. No way he could ticket you when you weren't hunting.


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## BigDeer (Aug 9, 2005)

BIL and I had our license checked by a Wyoming agent one time. We were down a gravel access road close to BLM ground wearing no camo and standing outside the truck trying to call back home. No guns, bows, camo, nothing out/on but first thing he said was I need to see your hunting license and started quizzing us up and down. Nice guy though, just seemed odd.


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## rmt1993 (Feb 10, 2013)

We get checked every year while dove hunting


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## algdog (Jun 13, 2005)

it is something that some guys don't get checked at all or 3-5 times in there lives, I can say that I have been checked over 100 times here in NJ. the wardens here think because we are hunting or fishing that we must have robbed a bank. at least 5 times have had them draw guns on me before they check for licenses, guns ect
they check us on the bay duck hunting sometimes as many as 3 times a day, the first time being right at legal shooting time. seems just to screw up your morning. 
they check us in the woods, on the road, out at sea, at the boat ramps it never ends. 
I've had them drop my gun while checking it. break a scope once while checking it. ram my boat once, ( doing a sneak attack inspection) have been ridiculed , insulted, 
and disrespected more times than I can count by our lovely co's
have only been issued one ticket, failure to fill out a deer tag before dragging it to my truck, which was were my pen was.


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## BigDeer (Aug 9, 2005)

I was about 10, running trotlines with my dad on the Osage by Truman and we were midway through a line when a boat out of nowhere is 200 ft from us. Mid Mo people probably remember Agent Dinkins. Pulls up next to us, checks my dad's license then asks us what the limit of hooks per trot line is. My dad said he didn't know (I think he did or didn't care). This was before you had your name on each line. Dinkins said 33. We probably had run 33 already and had the other half of the line to go. Dinkins started asking me questions and I answered everything with Sir. Dinkins told my dad he was lucky to have a son with manners and was letting us off. We were very lucky. Definitely kept track of hooks per line after that.


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## Yooper720 (Nov 25, 2009)

I have ran into many CO's and Federal Marsh. here in the U.P. I am friends with 3 CO's around Iron County. I can honestly say I don't mind running into one. The first thing I do is shake their hand and introduce myself if I don't know them. After they check my tags I usually ask them about some hot fishing spots or if they have saw any big bucks. 
Seeing they are out there daily they usually have some good info.


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## Yooper720 (Nov 25, 2009)

A good CO story I think you guys might like. A buddy and I were ice fishing for walleye one afternoon. We were out on a huge lake and we were out toward the middle. All of a sudden we could see 2 snowmobiles coming across the lake..looked like they were on a mission. 

1 Snowmobile came toward us and the other went toward another group of guys fishing about 200 yards away. Well when the CO pulled up it ended up being a friend of mine. Seeing it was him I asked him who he was with. He said his partners name and I instantly came up with a plan.

I had the CO turn on his flashing lights and then act like he was handcuffing me. When his partner saw the lights he came screaming over on his sled. As he pulled up I turned to him and said got ya!!! He swore at us for a while then we all had a good laugh. The CO we were messing with I played high school football with so I knew him well enough to screw with.


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## cschwanz (Sep 10, 2012)

Been checked a couple times bird hunting. Asked to see licenses, chatted for a couple minutes then took off. Was asked for a fishing license on lake Erie once when we came back in to the docks. No issues with any of them. Don't break the law, don't fear the law


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## BigDeer (Aug 9, 2005)

Been asked to unload our shot guns and asked if the plug was in our guns, with the CO standing about 100 yards away with a pistol drawn. Nice gal.


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## Gobblergetter23 (Mar 11, 2009)

Wow... Why duck huntingI have been checked very many times duckhunting three times this year actually in they run me through the ringer every single time check plugs checked shells it was crazy... I was always legal same guy checked me three times in public land called me by my first name and still checked everything, it became frustrating


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## Bunnycop69 (Jan 20, 2015)

My girl friend gets checked by one nightly..... :wink:


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