Game Wardens

[Tennessee Boy]

I’ve had many encounters with them over the years.  They’ve always been positive.  What’s interesting is I’ve only been stopped a couple of times on a major reservoir.  The others were in remote places.

[jbmaine]

I've got nothing but amazing respect for wardens in both Maine and New Hampshire. They do a great job in often trying circumstances. 

[gim]

As others have already stated, there aren’t near enough. Many laws on the books are not enforced because they cover too much area.

 

In college I was an intern with the DNR one summer. I was not in enforcement, I was only doing surveys at lakes. Prior to my start date, I met the the two local game/fish officers in the area. They both gave me their contact info and told me to put it on speed dial in the event I witnessed any violations. The information people gave me was voluntary but when someone refused, I speed dialed one of the wardens because I felt like they were hiding something. Some were, some weren’t. Most people were nice and willing to answer questions once they realized I was not there to harass them.

[fin]

3 hours ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

I don’t really enjoy getting stopped by any law enforcement officer.

 

I don't think anybody does enjoy getting stopped, inspected, questioned, etc. Unless maybe they know the warden personally.

 

What I enjoy is seeing someone out there enforcing the laws that help prevent mass harvesting of the fish I'm trying to catch. If they check my license, then I know they're out there doing their job.

[gim]

I should also mention that I have not encountered a single warden here in Minnesota, ever. I have fished and hunted here for over 25 years.

 

That stat alone tells me there aren’t enough.

[MediumMouthBass]

The ones in PA have been great, whether game or fish and boat. I live closeby to the local office and the amount of ground they have to cover is unbelievable.

The state really doesnt like helping them out though, especially when it comes to funding. (at least in my area).

Have had some good conversations with them, the one guy was giving some good tips at one of the places i was fishing, he walked i think 2 miles down this really bad walking trail and came back just to tell me the good spot in the back was open.

Funny story, this one time the same guy stopped us earlier in the year and checked our licenses and talked for a bit, well we (the people i was fishing with) left and went to 3 or 4 other lakes and ponds after that the same day, and our group and him got there at the same time at each place. Talk about timing.

[Log Catcher]

I have been checked by the game wardens several times. They have all been short pleasant interactions. They check my license and usually do a boat inspection to make sure I have life jackets and the fire extinguisher is okay. They have checked me on the river and some creeks. There is one big lake I fish and have never seen one on it.

 

I would like to know when they came up with you had to have a license if you are practicing your casting and not catching anything.

[MN Fisher]

Just now, Log Catcher said:

I have been checked by the game wardens several times. They have all been short pleasant interactions. They check my license and usually do a boat inspection

On Minnetonka - it's the County Sheriff's Water Patrol that does this...and yes, they've checked me...back when I had the runabout.

[islandbass]

@Mobasser: Perhaps, but not always true. I want to believe what you believe and I do to a certain extent, but… and that’s a big BUT. 
 

I will remain on alert and cautious but still cooperate. I have nothing to hide. I won’t rewrite what I’ve already written about one encounter with a game warden. Let’s just say I was legit and he had nothing on me and he nearly pulled out his gun on me before I could say hello officer. When I showed him my license, he walked away ticked that he had no grounds to write me a citation. I was not disrespectful in anyway. 
 

 

[12poundbass]

2 hours ago, Log Catcher said:

I would like to know when they came up with you had to have a license if you are practicing your casting and not catching anything

That’s easy. The only way you’re practicing casting without the possibility of catching anything is if you’re casting line with absolutely nothing on it and no one is doing that! 
 

 

[WRB]

It’s called a practice casting plug, no hooks.

Tom

[TnRiver46]

15 hours ago, gimruis said:

I should also mention that I have not encountered a single warden here in Minnesota, ever. I have fished and hunted here for over 25 years.

 

That stat alone tells me there aren’t enough.

“Workin hard, boss !”

[Bankbeater]

I had my license checked once last year. Missouri needs more game wardens. Some of these waters are a complete zoo on the weekends. 

[BayouSlide]

Either on the water or hunting public lands, a number of times. They have always been courteous and I always thank them for doing the important (and often dangerous) job of protecting our public resources.

 

The most recent time was coming in after dark to the boat landing on a WMA the opening day of rifle season for deer. I had two pigs in the boat but no deer. This was a choke point with the launch and the adjacent gravel road providing access to a wide area that included some private camps.

 

It was dark, late and I was bushed from field dressing and hauling out the two pigs the mile or two to my boat. The launch was primitive and I had a really hard time trailering the boat, which makes me nervous at this ramp even in daylight. Eventually I had to set a flashlight on a dock point just to help me align my vehicle and trailer with the ramp.

 

The warden had a line of trucks he was checking and was writing some citations. He was all business but said to take my time and he would check me after I got the boat on the trailer.

 

He was thorough, validating my license info with his headquarters. In response to his questions I offered that I was hunting with a suppressed AR-10 in .308. He asked to see the ATF Form 4 (which I was required to have with me) so I showed it to him as a scan in PDF form on my phone. Don't think he had dealt with one before so he saw the Form title which was "Application for..." and I showed him the tax stamp on the form with signature of the AFT official which indicated it was an approved application. He then compared the serial number of the suppressor with the form. He was taking care of business just the way he should have, in my opinion.

 

He then asked me for printouts of  my deer tags. I was taken aback because I never printed them out, knowing I could fill them out electronically in the unlikely chance I had run across a deer: I was targeting pigs with no plans of taking a deer. The license was issued electronically and the tags were a separate printout.

 

He noted that cell service would not make electronic check in possible much of the time in the WMA. He then spent a good amount of time showing me how to access the forms as part of my digital LA Wallet (which contains electronic versions of driver, hunting and fishing licenses). It took longer for me to access than it should, I actually had to reset my password. He was very patient and probably could have just made his life simpler by giving me a ticket. I would have accepted it because it was my mistake.

 

Eventually I was able to pull up the tags on my phone. In short he helped me meet "the letter of the law" that night. And, yes, I ended our contact with "I'll make sure to have tag printouts in the future. Thank you for all you do to protect our wildlife from violators. Stay safe."

 

[TnRiver46]

I wish I got paid to never show up….. 

 

wait no I don’t 

[Catt]

Being an outdoorsman & growing up in a small rural community, law enforcement & I have met!

 

73 yrs old & I've been given a citation twice.

 

One on Toledo Bend about 2 in the morning for a fish that was 13.78", 14" being legal.

 

The second was while saltwater fishing, I left my fishing license in the truck. When to court, the judge asked where I was fishing, I told him. Then he asked how many, I told him. Then he asked on what, I told him. He said case dismissed 😁

[bp_fowler]

I have a pretty good relationship ship with my local wildlife officer.  He’s only checked my license once, the first time I ever met him.  I still run into him from time to time and we chew the fat.  Come to find out that one of my fire academy classmates was a former ODNR officer and they knew each other.

[WRB]

Oddly I haven’t ever been asked to see my hunting or fishing license by a game warden,

The local DFG warden kept his boat at the landing I worked on at Big Bear lake and they check licenses all time out in the water, never me.

I have always had my license all these years since 16 years old, you would think someone would have asked somewhere!

Tom
 

[Skunkmaster-k]

11 minutes ago, WRB said:

Oddly I haven’t ever been asked to see my hunting or fishing license by a game warden,

The local DFG warden kept his boat at the landing I worked on at Big Bear lake and they check licenses all time out in the water, never me.

I have always had my license all these years since 16 years old, you would think someone would have asked somewhere!

Tom
 

That’s amazing. I get checked literally three times a week. Probably because I am a poor white trash idiot that looks like a felon. 

[BayouSlide]

12 minutes ago, WRB said:

Oddly I haven’t ever been asked to see my hunting or fishing license by a game warden

 

When I think about it, I've actually offered to show my license more often than I've been asked for it. Not necessary, is their usual reply. Maybe it's my gray hair and honest face 😉

[TnRiver46]

43 minutes ago, WRB said:

Oddly I haven’t ever been asked to see my hunting or fishing license by a game warden,

The local DFG warden kept his boat at the landing I worked on at Big Bear lake and they check licenses all time out in the water, never me.

I have always had my license all these years since 16 years old, you would think someone would have asked somewhere!

Tom
 

That’s wild. 

[geo g]

On 4/19/2024 at 3:52 PM, MediumMouthBass said:

The ones in PA have been great, whether game or fish and boat. I live closeby to the local office and the amount of ground they have to cover is unbelievable.

The state really doesnt like helping them out though, especially when it comes to funding. (at least in my area).

Have had some good conversations with them, the one guy was giving some good tips at one of the places i was fishing, he walked i think 2 miles down this really bad walking trail and came back just to tell me the good spot in the back was open.

Funny story, this one time the same guy stopped us earlier in the year and checked our licenses and talked for a bit, well we (the people i was fishing with) left and went to 3 or 4 other lakes and ponds after that the same day, and our group and him got there at the same time at each place. Talk about timing.

I went to college and played football with the great All Pro Pittsburgh Steelers LB Jack Lambert.  He always wanted to be a Wildlife Officer and after playing in the NFL, went through the academy and became a PA wildlife officer.  Besides having a big farm in PA, he spent years protecting the PA Wildlife.  

[Catt]

While I have only gotten 2 citations I have been Gibb slapped by wardens who I've known since high school. 

 

Back in the 60s when we would go deer hunting, we camped at the same area. Opening day part of the first deer killed along with squirrel & rabbit went into cast iron Dutch oven to make Sauce Piquant. The area game warden was a live long friend of my Dad & would meet us for supper. One year no one killed a deer so no Sauce Piquant. When the warden came by & saw nothing cooking he was told why. He to me grab his 30/30 from the gun rack & get in the back of the truck. He pulled into a soy been field, hit the q-beam & said, pick one.

[J._Bricker]

On 4/19/2024 at 12:47 PM, gimruis said:

I should also mention that I have not encountered a single warden here in Minnesota, ever. I have fished and hunted here for over 25 years.

 

That stat alone tells me there aren’t enough.

@gimruis it’s surprising how few F&G wardens there are state by state. Some of the F&G enforcement duties was handed off to local law enforcement (California did this) due to state budget deficits.
Here’s the number wardens in MN in 2022 per google - The DNR currently has 160 officers, but has 25 vacancies across 155 stations, with the majority in the northwest and southwest.Feb 11, 2022

[rboat]

In general, they have all been really nice. The ones in boats may pull up, check your license, ask how the fishing is and then go on their way. I believe they are most interested in DUI. They like to see what you are drinking, since it is bottled water or soda with me. They leave quickly. Of course like any job there is always a bad apple in the bunch. One time after fishing with my son, who was maybe 3 at the time, A warden came up to us at the dock. I believe this dude really wanted to be a cop or military officer someday. I think steroids were his go to and he spent 8 days a week in the gym. With his chest puffed out , flat top hair cut, and  showing his gun and badge to everyone, he proceeded to rifle through every compartment on my boat. Like me and my son were running heroin across the lake or something. He checked off every piece of safety equipment, license, and anything else. My son had a life vest on, as always, and I had a throwable seat cushion beside me. I had already put my inflatable vest in the compartment for the ride home. Big mistake, fined me $50 because it needed to be out and accessible. The jerk scared the crap out of my son, he probably thought it was a real live stormtrooper. Anyhow, I believe that is why my son gave up fishing to this day. That was the only bad experience in 50 years. I did report the guy for being rude, but never heard anything.