Game Warden ?? CAN/US

I usually have positive interactions with our local wardens. On the contrary, I have some buddy’s in Canada who get checked regularly while moose hunting and even fishing. They get checked by the same couple wardens and are asked the same questions several times and even separated at times. I had a group of duck hunting buddies in the states that say this has happened to them while duck hunting. Same questions over and over while separated. Both cases are during prime hunting/fishing hours and on the moose deal, several times in same season.

My question is, does anyone know how long you have to stand there being interrogated? When/can this turn into impending your right to hunt/fish?

Stop times can vary widely. There is no set time limit.

If the officer can articulate reasonable suspicion of a crime then a lengthier time would be warranted...

Btw...this is referring to a traffic stop, but GW conpliance checks will fall into this broader category...

They're trying to trip you up , multiple questions to see if there's a difference in answers, even slightly, and you're separated to see if there's any collusion with fellow hunters, cause everyone is guilty!, if only they look hard enough.....

I found that if you talk endlessly about nothing you will only have that issue ounce, the next time they will wave and drive by unless they have serious business. That was from my younger days now it’s just good chat time and catching up.

I had some buddies that were ice fishing on some back slough on the Mississippi. The warden stop and checked them 3 days In row. On the third check one of the guys said you check us tomorrow and there will be 4 of us leaving and you won't be the one leaving. Never saw him again.

Darrel always stops to chat when I see him in the Bush.
Get along great with all the Game wardens,always have.
Even got a couple tickets over the years,no biggie,they have a job to do-same as a cop giving you a speeding ticket.
One warden here had a bad reputation as to going out of his way to catch miscreants.
One day I seen him up north at the end of the road system with his skidoo,a sleigh and about 6 5 gallon gas cans and some overnight equipment.
I asked him where he was going,he said he heard some guys from Quebec were illegally using some fly in outpost camps on several remote lakes and fishing.
From where he was he had about a 70 mile skidoo trek thru the bush.I later read about the bust-he caught them all by himself,lol
That same warden helped me get my first RTL.

Yeah we were on the Mississippi backwaters one time and got drilled by a warden after he sat undetected 40 yards away for a half hour watching us eat lunch.This was my buddies first time out deer hunting for the year and the warden asked him 5 times how many deer he shot this season-unbelievable I think he’s the head warden educator now.

Thanks SW.

gcs,

I know what they are doing, just wondering how long they can legally do it.

LW

That was my go to also!

It just seems like standing there wasting the last hour of shooting/fishing light answering the same questions is wrong. Especially if the probable cause was to check license and that part is done. You should be able to say "well, we're going to get back at it, have a good day" and walk away.

Why not ask for your license back and say your done answering questions?

Yup, that’s the question. Why not? What can happen? When is it legal to walk away.

I know our regs say it is unlawful not to show your license when asked by an officer, but doesn’t say how long you have to hang around after.

It sounds like I may be in the minority but I have NEVER had a negative experience with a CO. They have all been polite and doing the job they are being paid to do. I did have one scare the snot out of me in the dark one time out on the ice but I understand why he did it.

That’s largely been my experience too.

Same here.

You don't have to be an arse to a GW, but you also don't have to stand there (after the initial compliance check) and chat unless the GW has suspicion of a violation. Simply ask him if he is investigating a violation. If he says no...then just advise him/her that you'd like to go back hunting.

Someone being a rude arse to me, for no reason, would almost guarantee a return visit and/or a closer look at the area. If I'm not rude to the sportsman then the sportsman shouldn't be rude to me. I always tried to treat people like I would want to be treated.

The person that said to me what Danny Clifton says above always flipped a switch for me...and made me wonder wth!!

Thanks Boco. It's always good to hear of sportsmen's cooperation and support for our GWs.

Once again, my over all experience is positive with CO's, and I've had a lot of interaction with them. But this deal in Canada year after year, same wardens, no tickets. Just seems like harassment to me.

Just have one question. How can a game warden just walk up to you while hunting and ask to see your license. I have no problem with it but don't he have to have a probable cause to stop you. A cop can not just stop you for driving down the road.

If they took the money out of it, they wouldn't even do it .

Looking to right tickets, job justification.

Call them to put a wounded elk/deer down they will look into it.

Just my Montana experience's with them

Game Wardens are different. Regular law enforcement needs reasonable suspicion or probable cause to interact with you. Game wardens do not. They can check for compliance anytime. 'Check you creel' is the legal verbiage they use.
Read your states game laws, you give your 'implied consent' when you voluntarily purchase a hunting or fishing license. If you're engaged in hunting or fishing activities, they can check your creel at any time.

This^^^ is not the case in Georgia. ALL fines goes to county in which the citation was issued. The state gets NONE of the $$. Must be different in Montana. Here in Georgia, ALL state officers turn all citations in to the county courts where they were wrote for disposition. That county sets the fines and collects all the money.

Yes^^^this is correct. License checks, creel, and bag limit checks ...

The US Supreme Court has ruled on the validity and need for these compliance checks in several cases over the years.

I get along great with game officers here in Oregon. Many of them are trappers themselves.

Here's my take on it: When I go into a new area and that warden doesn't know me he has to figure out whether I'm a law abiding trapper or one that bends rules. Once they figure that out they know how to treat you. So I'm always polite and go out of my way to make sure they see I fit into the former category.

The last time I got checked, the trooper asked my hunter how much he paid for the guided trip? They recorded the whole interview, which involved a lot of personal and irrelevant questions. Later that winter the troopers reviewed these tapes and tried to bust my boss on some misstatement ( or misinterpretation) of what I said. He also claimed we did not have the paper work we had. I had my hunter take a picture of his paperwork after the trooper left. If you really want to be hassled, be a hunting/fishing guide.

I have had nothing but good encounters with our COs. In fact I've been an Instructor In the WI DNR warden school.

There was one situation where this female CO got stuck on this property. Well she flagged down the farmer and wanted him to pull her out. He said I'm busy doing some plowing when I get done I'll get you pulled out. She then called a towing service when the tow truck entered the farmers land he turned them away and wouldn't give them permission to to be on his property.

This female warden had a history with screwing over people. She use to sit out on the ice at night and set off your tip ups then wait for the prescribed check time and ticket the fishermen. When we got wind of that we always took the dog with us as a early warning device.
She also use to ticket guys for indecent exosphere when they went behind the shack to relive themselves.
I think she lost her job do to some DWI tickets.

If I remember right in my state a few years ago wardens stoped some duck hunters while they were hunting and wrote them tickets for drugs they found on them while hunting. It went to the state Supreme Court and the duck hunters won because the state had no reason to check them. Due to not observing them with any hunting violations just hunting.

If that is what happened...then that Arkansas court did not follow the ruling of the USSC....which is not uncommon these days.

… they’ll turn sideways and block the road on you down here … then smile and ask if you’ve been huntin

.. they run in male breeding pairs.. one to keep smilin at you while the other looks in the back of your truck

I’ve never had any problems with our GW around here , like said above they have a job to do . The only time I had a issue was one of my sons was coon hunting with his buddies one night and they had a flat when they got back to the truck and didn’t have a jack and he sit there and watching them through night vision to make sure they didn’t put a gun in the truck . The next morning he called me and asked if they made it out of there alright he had noticed they had a flat . Then later on in the conversation he said he watched them through night vision to make sure they didn’t have a gun . That didn’t sit to well with me I fussed for a while on him and basically told him if you seen they didn’t put a firearm in the truck why didn’t you go help they were only kids .

Huntin' on that public land has some extra inconveniences....

I was charged with something stupid years ago. They wanted to take my license and line away.

I hired a criminal defense attorney and fought them in court. Got to keep my license and line.


Other than that, I message my CO all the time and might be going fishing with him next week. When I get stopped I never get checked. Usually they just chat. Only been asked for my license once, and that was a guy I didn't know.

I also don't do anything illegal, so there's that. Never once had anyone look in my livewell, or check anything else.

5A remember and exercise it. All you are required is to show license allow inspection for plug/nonlead shot and game taken.

I will engage any officer in polite conversation but when he/she starts into nosy questions I politely remind them of the 5th and decline to answer any further.

Game Wardens can not get around the constitution as far as probable cause goes. However, the court has ruled that the fact you are hunting, or they have reasonable suspicion that you are or were hunting, is probable cause to ask for license etc..

I'm not a lawyer but I'm going to say your hunter wasn't obligated to answer any of those questions. Compliance with game laws does not mean you have to waive away your 4th, 5th or 6th amendment rights. The burden of establishing proof of guilt is on law enforcement, not your hunter.

I believe if it got past the friendly stage and they were picking at me, I'd be like Danny and ask if I was free to leave or was I being arrested.

Here in Missouri Conservation Agents or game wardens can enforce any law in the state. Drugs, traffic laws, etc............

.. around the house ain’t bad… when I go a county up is where the trouble is lol… that warden and his mate in that county is a big deer hunter and patrols hard around his family land … he’ll tell folks they should’ve let a legal deer grow… I had him so mad one time I thought he was going to draw on me lol

was that Jill?
I have heard some stories about her

I will be polite. Answer a few questions, but if the officer starts asking the same ones I am done talking.

For the most part they have been professional and good guys with me. I did have a real 5" barnyard fith once. I was driving with the kids years ago and there was a 16" wide 8 point that had been hit by a car laying on the edge of the road. I asked th boys if they saw it and they didn and wanted to see it so I turned around and went back. When the lights hit It it decided it was not dead yet and struggled and failed to get up several times. I got out and shot it with my glock then called it in. Took an hour and a half for the warden to show up. He asked what I shot it with wanted to see it and my permit. Asked a ton of questions barny style. What really made me laugh was when he said" I can see its boogered up a little on its neck so your ok. A lot of times I skinn them to be sure they were hit by a car. But I can see the places on its neck so your ok" at that point I was irritated with his little man barnyard approach so pointed out that the busted turn singles and head light in the road were also a good indicator it had been hit by a car but if he really wanted to skimn it out to check I just lived around the corner and he was more than welcome to take it to the house and skin it if he liked;) he declined and wrapped it up telling me not to shoot them and to wait for him to come shoot them. I smiled and told him there was no chance in heck I would ait an hour and a half with a deer flopping around for him to get there and put it down so he was out of luck there.

Miss Heather- she was a smokin hot pain in the arse.

Nothing but good thing to say about wardens around here with many I call friends. Most of those are trappers themselves.

Compliance checks: court-approved constitutional and acceptable trade-off for wildlife conservation and public safety issues like boating safety for the minor law enforcement intrusion. Most police agencies won't use these much except for DUI checkpoints, etc...(public safety issue.)

Reasonable Suspicion: officer has reason to believe a crime has been/will be committed. Allows for traffic stops and brief citizen investigative detention. These encounters demand a bit more time for the officer to determine what's what. Courts have ruled these encounters should not be overly long. Some rulings have even stated a time of +/-20 mins...but that is just a general guide based on vehicle traffic stops for traffic violations.

Probable Cause: officer believes a crime was/is being committed. Allows for and is needed for the officer to arrest or obtain warrants based on the violation facts that he now has direct knowledge of. PC encounters, or those that lead up to this level, may require more time for the officer to complete. Issuing a traffic citation at a traffic stop may not require much extra time, but other more complex field investigation might.

Compliance check may lead to reasonable suspicion. RS may lead to PC for issuing a citation or arrest or it may not. EXAMPLE: GW compliance checks hunter parked along road with buck in back of truck. Hunter says he killed the buck and produces the proper licenses. An obvious bloody drag mark is visible leading from the No Hunting side of the roadway to the guy's truck. Officer now has RS that buck was killed in the closed area. Some additional time
is now needed by the officer. The hunter is gonna be briefly detained (not physically arrested) while officer does some quick field investigation., with or without the hunter's cooperation. But the hunter says he shot the buck on the opposite side of road, which is open for hunting, and it ran over to closed side. Hunter shows GW where he shot buck and obvious blood trail...CASE CLOSED. No evidence of a crime = No PC for citation/arrest.


Again, RS may not lead to PC and then the encounter could be terminated. EXAMPLE: GW hears what sounds like duck hunting with unplugged gun. He conducts compliance check and determines all guns have plugs and all have proper licenses and are within bag limits, etc. GW leaves because hunters want to get back to hunting....

A hunter that pukes out the 5th Amendent or says I ain't answering your Nope questions will likely end up posting a "I Hate GWs" post on Tman.

Hope this brief explanation helps..

Gun plugs are easy to get around just take more than one gun with you. Shoot the first 3 swap guns and empty the 2nd one. I believe that's still legal.

Yes...perfectly legal.

Or it is in the Peach State of Georgia.

What I'm trying to find out is, in your example of, "all guns have plugs and all have proper licenses and are within bag limits, etc." but GW does not leave, rather keeps asking questions over etc. How long do you have to be kept from doing what your out there to do?

never had any problem , been checked for tags that was about it

closest thing I ever had to an issue was when they came out with the GO-WILD cards

was out fishing warden rolls up , I hand him my go wild card this was the year after they came out

heard a groan , apparently it was a nice idea but no one asked the wardens if they had cell service sad part you could see the tower just down the river , apparently Madison got them on a service that worked good in Madison and not in the rest of the state

never been checked in the woods for a deer tag they wait at the road mostly

I sure am glad we are done with back tags those were a PAIN keep switching it every time you put on something dry.

No It was Lou Ann. (SP)

Wardens need to stay in the office more then in the field. Never meet in the woods trapping .

Trapset,
All you need to do is ask the GW if he's done and tell him you'd like to get back hunting. You're not required to remain after compliance check if GW has no RS.

I was deer hunting In Wyoming. I was traveling down this 2 track and I came across this game check. They asked me for my license no problem. Then they asked where I shot the deer. I said I shot It west of the road. They said no you shot It east of the road. I said now that I think about It your right.

I believe your answer has already been answered in several posts. GW checks your paperwork, and gun and maybe asks a few general questions, e.g "having / had any luck?" etc. Give him maybe a minute or two more and then tell him to have a nice day and walk away. Any further questions or verbal statements such as "I'm not through talking to you" or "come back here" etc. are not lawful legal "commands". Keep going about your business.

Kinda what happens here. Not a lot of conservation police here and most are tied up doing things like work with an endangered snail or it's habitat. Never been stopped for licence check. Ever.

I'm cool with showing my permits and a few simple questions. It's when it's the same questions asked five different ways trying to get you to say something they can run with I don't like.

I spent some time in Wisconsin around Camp McCoy in the early 70s.
Deer hunted one fall there and had to wear one of those back tags; looked like a license plate. I hated them. Felt like I was walking around with a target on my back.

If they fly a helicopter and land near my camp and walk to my camp to ask all these personal questions, where am I walking away to? Should I go hide in my tent? He is the one that has to go away. Should I tell him to go away?

That’s what happened to a buddy of mine who was staying at a camp in NW Ontario. They asked him about his fish down in the freezer. Then told him not to leave his cabin while they walked around and asked other people in camp if they gave my buddy any fish towards his limit. They had already asked my buddy 5 different ways if he caught his own fish. 45 min later they came back and told him he was ok. My buddy was an older guy so maybe they figured he didn’t catch his own fish? Who knows but it was wrong for sure.

Some of ya'll sure have game warden-itis.

Those guys/gals obviously worry the crap out of some of ya'll.

If you don’t want to talk to 'em...don't.

They're just people...not green goblins....lol!!

B4 I retired, I'd had some good laughs messin' with some of you guys....

Y'all too tense....

Asking about fish is not personal question. Fish overlimit is part of a CO's job. Asking how much he is paying to stay at the camp is a personal question.

Not if the GW is thinking about using your guide service...or recommending it...

What!? You mean GW's are human?

I didn’t really notice anyone being too tense. I did notice a couple posts that struck me as a bit too defensive

More great advice: Don't Talk to them!. It is the law I have to answer fish and game and guiding related questions.

Nowadays, especially in El-Annoy, a traffic stop is really just "Trolling for Guns" ! "Do you have any Firearms, Atom Bombs, Hand Grenades or anything that will stick me? Then after you come back clean, it's "Have a nice day"! Unless of course you really did some bonehead thing.

That was intended as a pun...

Yessir. Or don't talk to em and make them more suspicious. Your choice.

Swamp Wolff here in MN the MN supreme Court has found the wardens can't look in your live well without permission, come into a fish house or deer stand without permission unless they have reasonable suspicion.

Actively hunting or fishing isn't reasonable suspicion.

Any how I can't say that I've had what I'd call negative interactions.

Well I don't take my trapping license with me if I ever get checked he can look it up.

I'm MN one can be fined for not having his license with. Can't say I've ever heard of anyone getting a fine maybe a warning.

I've never had bad dealings but I do believe some young wardens and federal park people today are not conservationists but rather preservationists. Some of them are clearly against hunting, fishing, or trapping.

Same. I also keep my gates locked and am not inviting them in.

Hah! Just get in your helicopter, fly the next ridge or two over and continue hunting. Two can play at that game.

Just tell em you left your hearing aids at home and cant hear a word they are saying.

Like that here in Georgia too. GWs don't have unlimited authority to search...as no other officers do. There are some circumstances that allow this without a warrant called exigent circumstances.

Unfortunately you are correct. I'm not sure of the direction that's gonna lead...

Here in Georgia it is a violation to not have your license on your person. But, in this electronic age, most have it on their phone, which is acceptable. If the person doesn't have it on person, GWs here in Georgia can look em up on phone or truck computer.

I did that a lot...no problems. Unless the person told me he intentionally left at home so I can just "look it up." That snap can tell the judge that too..when I play the video in court.

I could be as big of a butthole as any...and as nice & respectful as any...if allowed to be.

Swamp nothing but respect for the older wardens but these new ones seem to think everyone of us is a poacher. We are all human and make mistakes but some of the newer folks expect perfection 24/7.

Never had any bad dealings with actual game wardens in Oregon they use a lot of volunteers and those guys think they are god. Run one out of camp when he snuck in 2 hours after dark demanding to see everyone's paperwork . Lucky he didn't get spanked before he left.

Here in Nevada the snot nosed new ones that are a pain don't seem to last long the dept gets rid of them. The new ones that are here for a while seem to mellow and are nice.

Ontario NRO's tickets go to their department......just saying

I once had a trooper ask me how the trapping was in the area. I didn't answer that one and he got offended. I guess he should not have told me he was a trapper before that question.

. . . and then there's the USFW Fed GW . . . whole different breed. Don't want to mess with them too much

Since I started trapping, I’ve never seen so many COs around. Always friendly and a good source for other information and going’s on too. I was telling the last sargent that I ran into about a trap thief in the Hadashville area. Told him this info was coming from Bob, that sure got his attention! CO “Wait, what area?”
Me “Hadashville”
CO “whew! That’s not my area”
I guess Bobs a big wheel at the office…lol

I've got a question maybe someone can answer. I recently had a spirited debate with 2 game wardens. I had been bird hunting ( small game license required) and the female warden was the ramrod of the operation and obviously as green as her britches with a man standing silently observing and backup. So I walk up to my truck and drop the tailgate lay down unloaded over under shotgun as the mosey over. So ms. Green jeans starts with the usually small talk then asks to see my license, required by law to show upon request, no problem. Then she says do you have your ID. I respond by saying an ID is not required to hunt small game. She repeats the question, I I repeat my answer. Then Mr greenjeans bulls up and says I'm gonna ask you one more time, I looked at him and said you never asked me anything to begin with so don't threaten me, you gonna arrest me? I said to him can you tell me exactly what's required to hunt small game in missouri and he wouldn't respond, just stared at me I asked again and he wouldn't respond. I've looked online and in the print copy of the wildlife code of missouri and can find nothing anywhere that says you have to have or present ID. It Cleary states must present hunting license upon request. So who was right do you think?

Did you ever show your ID, how did it end?

Start videoing. Never had an issue but with one GW down here. He checked us 4 days in a row duck hunting. Day 2 I started recording when he brought 2 other wardens with him to check the pond and decoys. The 2 wardens realized real quick he was trying to find anything he could to make a case. They had done called it quits on raking the pond and checking which decoys they could reach and he was determined to check them all. And he was about 3-4 steps from the channel my son asked if I was going to mention the drop off, I just smiled and said he wouldn’t listen anyways. He ended up floating his hat and we all busted out laughing. I had it on video and told him we didn’t need checked anymore.
He came the next two mornings and went through the exact process, minus floating his hat. He found a duck that wouldn’t fly but would swim on day 4, hours after we left, and came to the house and told me since we’d killed our limits that bird would put us over the limit. We went back to the pond and I had my dog catch the duck and gave it to him alive. He said I had to kill it and I told him I couldn’t it would put me over the limit. So I told my son that didn’t hunt that morning to wring it’s neck. I then told him he needed to leave because my son was about to hunt and see if he could finish his limit since he already had one. Well, that ticked him off and he wrote ME a ticket for over the limit. Remember, all this was recorded.
On court date he was there, I was there, and my phone recordings for my defense was there. The judge dismissed the ticket and I never saw that warden again.
We were on a quota dove hunt a couple of years ago and a Warden was walking the field checking license and he walked up and called me by name. I said yes sir, but didn’t know him. He laughed and said I don’t need to see your license, I know you’re good. He asked, you hear with your boys, again I said yes sir and pointed where they were sitting. He looked at me and could tell I didn’t recognize him. He then said, I was one of the wardens the day so and so floated his hat! He said that and we laughed all over again. He then said have good hunt and continued on his way bypassing the boys.

Shawn, try taking off your socks and hand them to them. Keep smiling. It'll work.

My experience is once you say enough is enough and tell them it’s either time to stop or write a ticket, it’s over. Either they do or they don’t.

I'm going to say you're right. I'm over 65 (over 65 don't have to buy MO. H&F permits) so I HAVE to carry ID in lieu of a fishing/hunting permit. I can't see where it says a license holder has to carry a drivers license in addition to the permit. You should have ask, "Is that a command or a request?" and see what they say.

Any resident of Missouri sixty-five
(65) years of age or older may take fish, live
bait, clams, mussels, turtles, and frogs as
provided in Chapter 6 without permit (except
trout permit or daily tag in areas where pre-
scribed); provided, while fishing, s/he carries
a valid Missouri driver license, notarized
affidavit, or similar official document prov-
ing his/her eligibility based on residency and
age, and shall submit documentation for
inspection by any agent of the department on
request;

At 16 you have to start buying hunting and fishing permits, and there are LOTS of kids out there with fishing licenses that don't have drivers licenses. so..............

Here's the Missouri Wild Life Code, tha's Missouri Conservation's Holy Grail.
If the requirement exists it'll be in there: https://www.sos.mo.gov/adrules/csr/current/3csr/3csr.asp

By the way, it's NOT Missouri law that you must show law enforcement ID, unless you're driving of course, or want to. You must give your full name and address. That's it.

….

Ya, I showed it to them, I don't have anything to hide. I just believe it's an over reach of their authority. A game warden in missouri is commissioned by the state same as highway patrol or municipal cop. Who I don't believe can just demand ID without suspecting you of committing a crime or about to commit a crime. Well they can ask, but I don't believe your required to show.

This is how it is around here. The state guy is great but I cringe when I see the feds pulling up. It is guilty until proven innocent with most of them. I'm always legal but they still make you nervous. The last fed that checked me duck hunting was the best one I ever met so hopefully he sticks around here.

Waterfowl hunting is one of their specialties. . . . so, you better be right. You won't get a "ticket". They take your info and send a "pink slip" to the area Federal Court. The Fed Magistrate / Judge will send you a payable fine and / or a MUST APPEAR court date :-)

Definition of a sportsman is a violator that hasn’t been caught yet.

The onus is always on the hunter to show compliance...if you are up front and transparent it should be quick. If you have pulled a fast one in the past or hunt with someone who has they may inspect a little bit longer that it just how it works. The guys who are often checked never tell their full stories regardless how well you think you know them.

Having said this, anyone can make a mistake and it does happen.

They often know who's who in their local patrol Area and you think they don`t, better think again.

The issue that is being raised more and more nationally, and one that is causing more and more wildlife agencies to change their policies, is when a warden enters private property to do routine compliance checks. The contention being if the warden has no reason to believe that a violation has/is being committed, the entry onto private property would be improper. Obviously on public land or a routine compliance check as hunters are exiting private property would not be an issue in this situation.
We were always taught that an exception to the search warrant rule called the “open field exception” allowed for this practice. That has been challenged and hasn’t held water where tested in the courts.

Remembering Eugene Wynn
Died April 2019 died in the line of work

The Best Game Warden I've ever had the pleasure of having checked my Trap Tags

R.i.P.

Each State has their own Laws, Regs, and Policies. The only important things for individuals AND GWS' to KNOW are those parameters which apply.

I email the local dnr around me to find beavers and I tell you most don't know what's out in that area thete telling me . The b eaters have been trsped out for so many years!!.

HA! Thanks Jayme, I’ll give that a go!!

I’ve actually not had much trouble with our local guys. What my buddy’s in a Canadian have been going through the last couple years is ridiculous. I’ll give them the sock tip!

back a few years we had a group of young guns dnr come into our area of the u p , if they wanted a place to hunt and you were there first, they would harass your group until you left, well I had a lease on 14 acre of the best duck hunting in the area, they drove all of my friends away, well I finally had enough and press charges against them for hunter harassment , well I try the local dnr wouldn't do it so I saw the local judge never had a problem again, three of them got moved to different parts of the state , they probably did more the hurt hunting than all the anti!!!!, the one gps, 70 bow deer stands , see we couldn't bait deer until the opening day of bow season, and every one would put out bait before season , so he wrote 70 ticket opening day , now they change the rule, so you can bait 30 days before opening,

I’ve had good and bad experiences over the years, we had a Warden in SE Wisconsin that was often out of line, he stopped (2) of my sons friends that were squirrel hunting after school, he asked what are the legal shooting hours today?, the kids said they didn’t know because they only planned to hunt for an hour- we’ll before close. He then berated them on how he should right a citation and continued to abuse his power. I followed up with a phone call to provide my feedback, he could’ve used it as a learning experience and seeing two young men enjoying the outdoors in a world where that’s not always the norm should’ve been refreshing.

I had a warden give me the option of which violation I wanted him to charge me with. Twilight hunting or a nonresident hunting on residents only day. The twilight hunting was a bogus charge, the residents day only wasn't. I can't remember which one I picked. He was pleasant enough.

I don't know what the requirements are, however a name is on your hunting license, a picture of you is on a drivers license. How do they know that you are the name on the hunting license with out a picture I.D.?

I think you are required to provide identification if asked. They look you up to see if you have warrants.

This ^^^^ . . . In MD it is required also.

One time I got stopped while I was checking down at a creek. Got my license out while I was headed towards them at my truck. New, navy seal looking guy, chcekd my license and everythings OK. hIs ride-along, who was quite up in age was going through my traps (I assume checking for tags) was starting to wear thin on me while the other guy and I was talking. I yelled out "can I help you with something".and he finally stopped fingering my traps. My question is so what if a tag was missing, they are in the back of my truck- not set.
The main guy said sternly "we are leasig this ground starting next year and you will be required to wear blaze orange". because I was in camo. Thanks for the warning boss I just wrote thosee 3 stops off. I hate wearing orange when Im trapping especially when Im fairly close to the road.

To me, its not really about how they know its you or not. Its more about what you are required by law to show them. Its not your job to make their job easier. I know its not a big deal just to show your ID but if its not required, its not required. Kind of a "use your rights or slowly loose your rights" type of deal. Makes a big difference to me how I'm asked as well.

Wait a minute, you got to wear orange, just to trap? Oh, never mind, I see you’re up there in the country where a guy can’t even hunt on Sunday. WAAAAY too much control.

Here you go Trap Master.

NO, you don't have to carry I D if you have in your possession an 'actual' permit. Only if it is a temporary permit are you required to carry photo I D.
If they were going to write you a ticket they would have to site a statute in the Mo. Wildlife Code and it's not there.


Their exact wording, underlined:

3 CSR 10-7.405 General Provisions
PURPOSE: This rule requires any person engaged in hunting or
pursuing wildlife to possess the prescribed permit.
(1) Any person while hunting or while using dogs or birds of
prey in pursuit of wildlife in any manner, including training,
shall have on his/her person the prescribed permit, temporary
permit authorization number(s) or evidence of exemption.
The temporary permit authorization number(s) and picture
identification must be carried at all times while hunting until
the actual permit(s) is received. Wildlife may not be held alive
under hunting permi

One bad experience with a warden will make you forget every positive encounter. I have never had a bad experience with a police officer. Game wardens not so much.

Since most states, if not all, get your DL info when you get your license, would just take them a couple minutes to cross reference anyway, if they were suspicious. Some just ask for DL only, and cross reference to see if you have a hunting license.

Here take my license cousin Paul from out of State that looks somewhat like me. No need to buy an expensive NR license/ tag. Just tell them you are me. I'll order me a duplicate.

On property owned and leased by the PGC for orange. Now they allow you a couple Sundays for hunting god bless them.

I agree Dirt, that can, or rather could happen. However, its up to them to prove your illegal, not up to you to prove your innocent. It would be way easier for LEO if they could just walk into your house if they suspect your up to no good in there but thats not how it works. If we give up or quit using our rights that seem small or petty we run the risk of loosing them all. JMO

To the best of my knowledge, trappers are not required to wear blaze orange anywhere in the state, including land owned or leased by the PGC.

PGC Blaze Orange Requirements

… game wardens touch priests in places they’re not comfortable with

(Uncle Swamp excluded of course)

Thank you!!

… I need you come out of retirement and be my game warden Uncle Swamp lol

Surprisingly they do not, you would so but they never do

I agree 100% trapset, which is why I said what I did

Thanks osagian, I had seen that when I looked, and that's how I interpreted it but was looking for something that said specifically ID not required, probably somewhat vague intentionally.

Since they had my hunting license with name and address they could have also ran the plate on my truck

They’ve got a tough, low paying job here. Guessing it’s the same in the states. The wildlife act is so vague it’s hard to get answers to questions in writing. I’ve never been asked for ID but I could see why they’d want to verify whose license you’re holding.
There was one fella in SE MB that could be a bit of a jerk. His office staff would warn their friends when he was heading out…lol. Thankfully he’s been moved.

One stopped my parents years ago (over 20) and held them for over an hour and half. Ended up hauling my mom in to jail when she refused to answer questions any more and wrote her up for hunting without a license (she was just riding with my dad and never got out of the pickup, nor did she even have a gun). They went to court and the lawyer told them that the law reads they have "about ten minutes" to hold you, if they hold you more than "about ten minutes" they have legally arrested you even if they don't say anything of the kind. The wardens swore repeatedly under oath that they held them for "about ten minutes" even after the radio transcripts were admitted with the exact times of every radio call from when they were stopped to when he cuffed my mother. The judge threw it out and chewed the warden out that arrested her, but they never do anything to them for lying under oath.

I've seen good and bad over the years, some states are notorious for wardens that are on power trip and know you have done something wrong, if they can just figure out what it is. Others are just doing a job, and are nice guys. The management in charge and doing the hiring and training can have a big effect on whether the wardens you run into in the woods are nice guys who are more interested in wildlife management than throwing their weight around (they all are going to write you a ticket if you are doing something illegal, it is their job) or whether they are arrogant bullies.

To the best of my knowledge, trappers are not required to wear blaze orange anywhere in the state, including land owned or leased by the PGC.

PGC Blaze Orange Requirements[/quote]
I checked into it and it looks like only from nov 15-dec 15 (deer season). I think I remember him saying that. Of course, thats when I happen to be rolling through there.

If the warden said that, I think he was making stuff up lumberjack. I don’t think there’s any requirement for trappers to wear orange at any time of the year anywhere in the state.

I have two officers that work the area I trap, When I first meet them, both together, they asked a lot of questions which lead up to trapping, both did trapper ed classes. Only two times did I get checked by them, I knew because they left a business card saying, "Just me". Now, this was twelve years ago, that's the last time they had checked me or my sets. I guess if they feel your pretty honest, they can find a crime elsewhere.

Local warden lives about 300 yards from me. We get along fine.

I agree Dirt, that can, or rather could happen. However, its up to them to prove your illegal, not up to you to prove your innocent. It would be way easier for LEO if they could just walk into your house if they suspect your up to no good in there but thats not how it works. If we give up or quit using our rights that seem small or petty we run the risk of loosing them all. JMO


(Re post because wrong quote in last post)

From Pensylvania News July 25 2020......."The Pennsylvania Game Commission has issued a mandatory florescent orange color be worn by all visitors to game lands during the fall hunting season.

According to the press release, during the height of the fall hunting seasons – from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15 – nonhunters using state game lands long have been required to wear fluorescent orange, except on Sundays.

But now that expanded Sunday hunting has been approved, additional hunting will occur on three Sundays within that timeframe."

I had 2 GWs come into my dove field from the timber to the north I was pretty hacked off to say the least , I asked why didn’t you come from the driveway they lied and said they were out for a walk . My next question was no one knew you were in the timber watching us what if one of you would have gotten shot in the face by one of my hunters who’s fault is that and who’s responsible got your stupidity if one would have gotten shot ? Couldn’t answer the question and didn’t write a ticket , I followed one around and said repeatedly you want to check my plug in shotgun of course I was shooting a O/U lol