Anybody Ever Get Caught Without Their License?

[jitterbug127]

I’ve been stopped by the game warden so many time it’s comical. I’m good to be stopped 3-4 times a year on average id say. The weirdest was one time it was the middle of February with snow on the ground and stupid cold outside friend of mine and I were bored and we went down to the river to just fool around. With in 2 minutes of being there we get stopped. 

[Crow Horse]

On 11/26/2022 at 8:05 PM, PhishLI said:

DNR/DEC officers here are NY state troopers who'd applied for and gotten the DNR gig. If you live here you know the troopers are humorless, not much for negotiation, and would ticket their own mother. Certain localities have authorized them to not only ticket you for no license, but also to confiscate your gear, Not impound, but confiscate. So, there 'aint no way I'm not paying the $25 licensing fee. Occasionally the bay constables will sweep through a freshwater lake along the coast, and if your chit isn't straight they'll gleefully drill you good. Get caught in any of the east end "residents only" lakes and you'll get all that plus have to appear before a judge.

Upstate NY DEC officers I've found to be pretty friendly. I've only had a few interactions with them and only once did they wish to see my license. I was in the middle of a pond and he was on the bank, yelled out to me IDing himself and asked to see my license. I started to paddle in to show him and he said it wasn't necessary and just hold my license in the air. Another time I asked the officer if he wanted to see my license. He told me it wasn't necessary because he felt that if you've gone to great lengths to equip your yak with all the add ons like I have done that I wasn't going to skimp on a fishing license.

 

That said, I keep several copies that are laminated on my person. One in my PFD, one in my wallet, and one in my truck. It cost pennies to do and makes life so much simpler.

[TnRiver46]

12 hours ago, jitterbug127 said:

I’ve been stopped by the game warden so many time it’s comical. I’m good to be stopped 3-4 times a year on average id say. The weirdest was one time it was the middle of February with snow on the ground and stupid cold outside friend of mine and I were bored and we went down to the river to just fool around. With in 2 minutes of being there we get stopped. 

Game warden was also bored 

[Bigassbass]

Get caught?  I've never had my license checked not once in my entire fishing life!

[NorthernBasser]

In WI we don't have to physically have our fishing license on us, as long as we have our drivers license on us. 

[MN Fisher]

24 minutes ago, NorthernBasser said:

In WI we don't have to physically have our fishing license on us, as long as we have our drivers license on us. 

MN it's different.

"by law, you need to carry your actual license with you."

 

[NorthernBasser]

A lot of people hate it when a warden bothers them. I wish I saw them more than I do. So many poachers out there going unpunished. 

[padlin]

I’ve been carded once in my life, I didn’t sign the sheet stating my boat had been cleaned before launch. That’s what happens when you get to a new ramp in the dark.

[Functional]

Once or twice when I lived in NY. Once when I was young enough to "not know any better" I had no license and got off with a warning (got my license right after). Said hed rather see me out fishing than any of the other stuff I could be getting into.

 

Since I moved to NC only time I've seen a game warden is on my home lake and the guy who patrols it is my neighbor. I always have a license but he doesnt "rock the boat" when he sees me out there. 

[dickenscpa]

I've never fished or hunted without buying a valid license. My Dad bought me a lifetime sportsman's license when I was in jr high. I graduated high school in 1990 but when I was in jr high (either 7th or 8th grade) one six weeks of our PE class was Hunter Safety. Everyone that passed got to shoot a 20g at clays on the football field. My have times changed, LOL!

 

My license was one card kinda like a flimsy credit card but I only had one. From March-Sept it stayed in my tackle box. Deer season in TN starts 3rd Saturday of Sept and it stayed in my hunting pack and if I went fishing in the Fall had to remember to get it out of hunting pack and into tackle box and vice versa. Shoulda made a copy but never did for some reason.

 

There was a time or two I'd hunt or fish and realize license was was in the wrong pack. Never been approached while hunting and only once fishing and I was a junior in college and had my license on me.

 

Now my license are on my phone and we tag deer on our phone so I always have it with me.

[gim]

5 minutes ago, dickenscpa said:

and we tag deer on our phone

How do you tag a deer on your phone?

[DanielG]

License? We need a license? 

Actually When you reach a certain age here in Maine you can get it a lifetime license. I'm sure some other states have one too. I keep it in a zip lock on the boat all the time. Never was asked though. When I was a kid I did have a warden drive up from about a mile away to tell me my cushion strap was broken though.

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, DanielG said:

Actually When you reach a certain age here in Maine you can get it a lifetime license.

We can get lifetime licenses too - from any age....they just cost a good bit.

 

Mine would be $379 - and would take 15 years to 'pay off' at the regular $25/year fee. MN, you need a license until you're 90...

[GaryH]

4 hours ago, gimruis said:

How do you tag a deer on your phone?

I have a friend that hunts NJ and they can call there deer in to the game commission and they get a confirmation number

[BTSyndrome]

Honestly, didn't go back and read all 13 pages of this thread..'

 

My only "infraction" was @ 15.   I couldn't even drive to the lake by myself yet. (but I did have my Lifetime hunt/fish license since 10-11yo)  

I bought a 10' 2 man plastic boat that my dad and uncle would use, this expanded from my entire life from bank fishing.

Boat was mine, dad drove to the lake, uncle came with.... "you can see where this is going".

Probably our 50th trip. Game warden walks out on the closest jetty and asks,

"who's boat is this!"  Dad & uncle point at me. 

Then, "who's getting out!!" Dad & me point at my uncle. lol

 

Everyone had a life jacket and all was squared away except you can't have 3 people in a two person boat. My uncle didn't have his license on him, it was in the truck, so the GW was nice enough to drive him a mile back to the truck for it..... But I still got the ticket for to many persons in the boat.

 

And no, neither of them helped pay the fine, HAHA 

[clh121787]

Nope never been caught but I’ll come clean here. Actually I don’t wanna get cancelled but it was 100 percent not intentional. 

[TnRiver46]

On 12/19/2022 at 7:16 AM, Bigassbass said:

Get caught?  I've never had my license checked not once in my entire fishing life!

That’s crazy 

[Dogface]

On 12/19/2022 at 7:16 AM, Bigassbass said:

Get caught?  I've never had my license checked not once in my entire fishing life!

 

Talk about a "timely" incident. 

 

I have been a member of the Penn Warner club in SE PA since 1963. I have never seen a game warden or fish warden at the club in all those years and I spend a lot of time up there. 

 

A few days ago I put together a rod and reel to use for light lures like small jerk baits and jigs. This past Wednesday, the 21st, my son and I decided to go to the club and make a few casts, try out the rod, and maybe catch a few crappies. 

 

We were on the dock when the "fish wardens" (AKA Waterways Conservation Officers) showed up. I was very surprised to see anyone out there, especially them. I guess they were as bored as we were! ?

[Bankbeater]

I've been checked a few times, always on weekdays when I go fishing on a day off from work.  I've forgotten my license one time, and forgot to renew it the year they changed the expiration date to March. Luckily those two times were on the weekend.

[dickenscpa]

On 12/20/2022 at 11:41 AM, gimruis said:

How do you tag a deer on your phone?

We just answer a bunch of questions about the deer we shot and guesstimate the weight. It's an app thru TWRA. Actually when you take it to the processor you go back in and correct the weight. If you process your own I guess most have a scale and gambril.