Would you take a game warden’s advice on where to hunt?

[svivian]

Yes, just this 1st season in Colorado my buddy drew a tag. On opening day the warden came by and check tags, guns, etc... and we chatted with him for a while but never asked for spots. Told him where we were hunting and he said we were in the right area. Fast forward to the second to last day of the season they were having a hard time. The same warden happens to come down the road and asked him what his expectation for size of bull. Then proceeded to tell him to go up the road a couple miles and hang a right to a certain spot. Sure enough they ended up in area with 5 bulls and shot a decent one. If you are putting the effort in then they are more likely to help you out.

With that said now that this thread is out there, everyone in the country will be calling for spots, everyone should have said no

 

[3forks]

For what it’s worth, since I started this discussion I’ll update my experience.

I did go check out the area the warden I spoke with told me about. It was packed with a camp at every available spot along the road in.

Who knows if the warden told a lot of guys about this area besides me? But, I went back to the area I usually hunt, was into elk everyday and didn’t see any other hunters while I was out.

Anyway, the area I was told about was good country and I attribute the amount of hunters to the fact that I was in there during overlapping seasons.

 

[TheTone]

I’d take it over a bio. One spends there time in the field while the other sits at a desk

 

[Jaquomo]

I’d take it over a bio. One spends there time in the field while the other sits at a desk

Our regional biologist is in the field all the time, while our area WCO avoids getting out of his truck as much as possible.

 

[gabenzeke]

I'm in Iowa, but have a buddy who is a game warden. He checked a guy putting up stands one time and found out he was just scouting and coming back from several states away a few months later to actually hunt. They talk and my buddy says you should go check in spot x. Dude drags a tree stand and his bow out there and he sticks a 176 inch whitetail before he even put up the stand. If they offer the help unsolicited, I think they're throwing you a bone.

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[Mykolaivka887]

My outfitter in Arizona and I were breaking camp after the last day of elk season a couple years ago and a Game & Fish enforcement officer stopped by to check our paperwork. He asked if we'd seen any other hunters, which we hadn't, and then offered up a tidbit about where some truly huge bulls hangout in that particular unit. Just so happened that was the very same cliffy, cactus strewn, brushy drainage we'd been hunting the past 8 days.