How often......

[SammyLee]

Maybe three times in 40 years.  I travel a good bit and always buy short term out of state licneses.  Not too expensive but not free for sure.

I was in Arkansas a month or so ago and met up with the wardens at the rental dock.  I was almost wanting them to ask me for it but NO, just how ya doing?  I guess I look like I buy the darn things.

Like RoadWarrior, I too wish they would check more, especially those who seem to be drinking more than fishing.  Game and fish need more money and that's one way to do it.

I used to deer hunt with no success.  I often joked, "Can I just send you the forty dollars and stay at home this year?"  Once I bought the dang license I felt obligated to at least take a walk in the woods with a gun.

[kms399]

never for fishing and probably 10 times duck hunting.

[chief71]

I have never been stopped by the FIsh & Boat Officers. But I also work with them every day as a 911 supervisor.

[Fishing Rhino]

Never checked at my favorite pond, but it's surrounded by private property.

Fished several times at ponds in Fall River, and saw the Environmental Police all but a couple of times.

Spoke with them on those occasions but they never checked my license. In fairness, it is pinned onto my hat in a license holder, in plain view.

Years ago, by law, you had to have the license "prominently displayed" while fishing. When you bought the license, you got the holder. Most pinned it to their hat.

Now you don't have to have it prominently displayed. If you want the holder, it costs a buck. Mine stays on my hat, which I only wear while fishing. Have a duplicate in my wallet, just in case.

I keep the "non-resident" licenses in this type of holder.  Put the license for the state in which I'm fishing to the front of the holder.  Slip it over my head, with the holder at my back.  

[D4u2s0t]

I've seen a game warden twice, once in canada, and once this year at opening trout day. That's it. But the guy on opening day scared the nuts out of us, snuck up on us and kind came out between the bushes, full fatigues, gun, bullet vest, the works. I wasn't sure if we were gonna make it out of there that day lol

I mainly fish on private lakes where I live, never seen any patrols or anything.  Never asked for my license either.  We have private security there, so every now and then a security guard will ask if i live there, other than that no one has asked anything.

[ring fry]

Twice in 40 years, by the same warden, on the same lake, on consecutive days and I was in the same boat both days. :

[Busy]

Just about every week.  I live about 8 minutes from the lake I generally fish .

Outside of on that lake, I've only ever been stopped once hunting.  I always buy my licenses, the money partly goes back to keeping these sports around and healthy!

[J Francho]

All the time.  I have a few on speed dial.  I'm on a 1st name basis with several of them.  Most are good guys, if you're a good guy, too.  

[burleytog]

I've had my fishing license checked twice in my life.  It didn't hurt that I hunted/fished with the game warden and his family for 15 years.

I don't mind being checked, what I mind is the attitude some wardens exhibit when interaction with the public.  We have a couple in this area that would be better off being in animal control.  I don't understand becoming a game warden/CPO if you don't hunt and/or fish.

[J-B]

Only once in 35 years.  It was on a public lake that rented boats in Alabama.  I have never even seen an officer anywhere else I have fished.  Just the local police department checking if people lived in the subdivision that had the private lake they were fishing in.  LOL, many of them know me by name at the one I fish.