How to deal with game wardens?

[Howdoyoulikemenow]

Been hunting for fifty three years and I’ve never had a single negative experience with a warden. A few falls back I filled my special permit bull tag by the tip from the local warden. Last fall in Colorado I realized that I left my hunters ed card at home three states and sixteen hours away two days before the start of my season. Located the local warden and sent him screenshots of my information off of my states website. He called back within the hour to let me hunt and notified two other local warden’s of the situation if I got checked. He didn’t have to legally do any of that. I feel he appreciated the honesty and gravity of my dilemma and responded in kind.

 

[Steve300xcw]

I thought hunters ed stuff was just for the under 18 people?

 

[rickyrguy]

I thought hunters ed stuff was just for the under 18 people?

If born after 1/1/1949, you are required to have your hunter's ed card on you while hunting in CO. The exception being if the card is "verified", which I believe entails some extra steps with CPW.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

"He cited me for them anyway with the tags and also cited me for two more that were still in the barn, batteries out, with tags sitting right next to them on the work bench but not stuck on them yet."

"Only actual ticket I ever got was also in Northern WI, it was a life jacket violation in a canoe in about 18 inches of water about 5 feet from my shoreline and right next to my dock as I was putting the boat in the water and moving it up the dock to tie it off. I was 14 or so at the time. I dont even think I had a paddle in the boat."


These are "Intent". Did you INTEND to be out whipping schitties on the two down and non serviceable bikes? No. That guy can F right off.

Same with the canoe. Did you yet "Intend" to travel and navigate the waterways or were you launching a boat and waiting to get squared away, then travel? That guy can F right off too.

The entire concept of fines, citations and infractions is to dissuade criminal or negligent actions.

I have a huge issue with Driving while Intoxicated. I've gotten in near shouting matching with Prosecutors during training classes over this.

Guy gets hammered up. Too drunk to drive. Does THE RIGHT THING. Either pulls over, pulls into a lot, or never leaves the bar or event parking lot. Puts the keys outside the cab. On the roof. In the bed. In the ditch.

Will still get hooked for the DUI. Not DRIVING anything. The concept of the fines and arrest are to dissuade the drunk on the roadways potentially injuring others. Accomplished. The action ceased and did not occur.

Stop with the BS.......

 

[Pacific_Fork]

Interesting story: as a kid we had a cabin in northern Wisconsin with a lot of state land around us and also a lot of private. Me and my friends used to free range a lot which often included hunting on both. Private landowners back then ( late 70’s early 80’s) were not nearly so uptight as they are now. Anyway I was hunting alone for squirrels, rabbits and grouse and I came out on a county road at the same time a forest ranger was patrolling for illegal Xmas tree cutting. He stopped me and questioned me ( 12 or 13 year old). I didn’t happen to have my firearms safety cert with me so he “ escorted “ me back to our cabin to verify it. Just so happened that my dad had a few tips ups placed out on the lake fishing for northern and walleye that were unattended while he went out for a snowmobile cruise. Long story short, the now involved conservation officer had a great interest in that and not so much in me. My takeaway was it was a petty move by the forest ranger to give a damn about a teenage boy out in the woods hunting. But that lead to a bust for my dad who was technically breaking the law. Draw your own conclusions. I hold no animosity toward either them nor current conservation and forest people. They have tough jobs protecting our natural resources. Own your culpability in breaking rules or laws.

Those guys were the biggest douche bags, the warden fake wolf howling. It was worse than watching any scripted reality tv show full of do nothing house wives.

That show got an informant nearly beat to death out of cotton wood or red bluff area when he turned in a serial poacher on the show. They didn’t do a good job blurring his face and showed his house lol.

 

[streamerfish]

I've never had an issue....I've helped them multiple times bust poachers (fishing and hunting).

I feel kinda bad for the guys by where I elk hunt.

Almost a guarantee that they will have a handful of deer or cow elk "accidently" shot opening weekend of rifle bull elk hunt, probably minimum a couple intentionally poached bulls by people with no tag/license....And a bunch of people trespassing across the lower farm land that borders public land chasing herds of elk.

I've met some that aren't nice people, and seem to be eager for a "fight". But i honestly more or less ignore the attitude, I have my stuff in order. So i don't really worry bout it.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

Not sure how you can view this as anything other than a bad interaction- he followed you onto your private property and cited you for inoperable machinery? Just because he walked back after the fact doesn't make it a good interaction

I think otherwise. The warden gets back to the truck, reevaluates the interaction and decides that while there was a technical violation he should let empathy drive his decision. Few, very few, people are willing to admit they made a mistake or didn't make the best decision. It's rarer yet in the law enforcement community.

 

[BlackHillsShooter]

You'll be asked the same questions multiple times. Just be honest with your answers and it'll be fine. You can't screw up if you're honest during the interview.

 

[akhunter3]

I think otherwise. The warden gets back to the truck, reevaluates the interaction and decides that while there was a technical violation he should let empathy drive his decision. Few, very few, people are willing to admit they made a mistake or didn't make the best decision. It's rarer yet in the law enforcement community.

I don't think citing someone for an inoperable machine that is clearly stored would even count as a technical violation. They are inoperable. I would question how he would explain that in court; comes across more as attempting to cover his own rear end after the fact so he doesn't have to explain himself to the judge