Game warden infield checks

[Rich M]

We duck hunt - get checked all the time. Had a GW start scratching the paint off my shotgun looking for a serial number - he was informed that he does not need that information. They always want to look in the decoy bags and such - some are nicer about it than others.

We saw some guys get pinched opening weekend - $400 worth, but the searches didn't begin until they were found with too many birds/ducks at the biologist check station, then everything got searched and checked from safety equipment in boat to pockets, etc.

85% of the GW interactions I have had have been positive - they are doing their job. The 15% treated us like we were intentionally doing something wrong and they were gonna find it out - real jerks.

I typically see a GW 1 time per hunt - usually hunt WMAs and limited access hunts. Also saw a LEO on a 3-day WY antelope hunt - driver was parked in road, spotting public property from a public road, but looking across private property.

 

[ChrisS]

Twice, once was during a road hunter sting; they had a decoy buck set up in the woods and some friends of mine stopped to see what it was. I was walking up the road, with my rifle slung, to meet up for the next drive. The wardens pulled up and check all of our tags, they were nice enough, but just responding to some complaints from the locals. The second time was on the last day of small game season and we were headed back to the truck. A warden was waiting for us. I had my gun slung and chamber open, unloaded, my dog leashed, and everything else in order. That guy was still a dick.

 

[cnelk]

I often wonder how many game wardens frequent online hunting forums...

 

[George]

I often wonder how many game wardens frequent online hunting forums...

My guess is lots but few who engage as does mtwarden.

G

 

[black dawg]

Was checked once when I was 12, fishing for whitefish in the bitterroot. I had forgotten to get a new license, and it was only expired by a couple days. THe warden told me to send him a copy of the new license as soon as I got it. He never asked how a 12 and 13 year old got to the river, one truck in the parking lot, and just our two sets of tracks from it....and I never said anything about his dog eating my lunch.

The second time was about 15 years ago during spring bear season. We were driving from glassing spot to glassing spot, and were stopped by a young warden. He was super unfriendly, hassled us about just about everything, including the 10+ rifles in the truck (we planned on doing a little shooting in the gravel pit at the top of the mountain). During our time talking to him, I kept trying to figure out what he could possibly be suspicious of, and then he just said "you guys have a nice day, and good luck". I really think that was just how he approached everybody

 

[4ester]

I’m typically checked a couple times of year here in Wyoming. Our local warden has popped out of the bushes at over 10k feet to check our tags. He is always a nice about everything, has given me a ride on occasions.


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[wind gypsy]

I've been checked quite a few times, enough to not remember them all. However, all have been while bird hunting (MN, ND, SD, MT, CA, and Saskatchewan). Most have been very cordial with a couple odd balls.

We met a fella while scouting birds in SK once, compared notes and even invited him to hunt with us. He asked a lot of questions but just seemed like another hunter. Turned out he was a warden and watched us through a spotter the whole next morning hunt as the 6 of us shot near our limit of snow geese (120 birds) along with some bonus ducks and dark geese. When you shoot that many birds it's possible to have some sail and not see them or have some cripples walk out of the spread so you have to be very careful about not killing too many. He approached us as we were picking up decoys and said he had counted 117 and but would run his dog around surrounding cover to see if we left some cripples, none were found. We typically stopped 3-5 birds short of limit to avoid any problems.

I was once charged with Hunting without a license for being with a friend who stopped and jump shot some ducks in SD. My buddies gun was jamming so I grabbed him mine. The wardens watched us the whole time through spotters and saw me handle a shotgun. I never shouldered it or possessed ammunition and if I were truly hunting I would have been shooting the ducks that were flying over in range. Regardless, it was ignorant for me to put myself in that situation. They separated my buddy and I to try to get different stories, talked down to me like I was a punk kid (I was in college), and made me pay like $200 cash to avoid getting my shotgun confiscated. After searching my truck and finding an AK the warden made comments like "how many poached deer are we going to find laying around the area." It left me pretty sour. In hind sight, i was in SD to pick up decoys from a childhood friend's dad who lived there. This guy does not have a sterling past and the warden might have made an unwarranted connection. I ended up getting the charges dropped but had to travel back for court.

Only other negative encounter I can remember was fishing on a lake in northern MN. I was 17 and using my Stepdad's boat. The warden checked me for license and PFD's and then made me drive to the boat landing and tie off to the dock while he ran the boat's registration and "made sure it wasn't stolen". I have a clean criminal record and can't see how I'd give off a vibe where that was a reasonable concern.

 

[gelton]

We get checked pretty regularly down here in Texas. Especially hunting waterfowl on public lands. I have seen game wardens in Colorado but they were on horseback and I was sitting against a tree and they rode right past me. This past season a forest service ranger stopped into our truck camp to let us know that a single track trail was closed, not only to motorcycles and horses, but also hunters that were on foot. I let him know how asinine that was but thanked him for stopping nonetheless.

 

[cbat]

To many times to remember. But funniest time was just wearing a towel after taking a shower while bear hunting. Warden asked me what I was doing and I told him Bare hunting. He wanted to now where I carried my license ?

 

[missjordan]

Been checked only twice on the mountain, one was when we were antelope hunting and the other deer hunting. The warden when we were antelope hunting was very nice and polite while the other warden who checked us deer hunting was very rude. He drilled us for a long time, almost like he was searching for any excuse to write you a ticket.


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[Elkfitness]

I got checked in Colorado, One was for Brodhead diameter. The other was, just to make sure I had a valid tag for unit. I always like seeing the game wardens out there. These were close to the trailhead, but in A hunting area.


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[3forks]

I often wonder how many game wardens frequent online hunting forums...

I'm not sure, but you certainly hear of people getting busted for their social media posts.

I'm a hardcore bird hunter and there was a guy who used to post on a bird hunting board about his extended trips to hunt Montana. That guy bragged about shooting limits everyday (he'd arrive a few days before the season opened and stay for almost the entire season). If you're shooting 4 sharptails and 3 pheasants a day (not to mention a few partridge), you're going to have to consume a lot of birds or run into a possession limit issue quickly. The guy was also not very considerate to resident hunters because he was not very secretive about where he hunted and invited people who he met through the board to come hunting in the area he stayed (all public and walk in hunting areas).

Quite a few people asked about how he managed the possession issue and he said he always stayed within the limit. Frankly, the guy seemed to like the attention he got from board members who enjoyed him recounting his hunts. It seemed the guy enjoyed having his ego stroked to the point that he was not going to stop posting about shooting daily limits or posting about where he was hunting.

Turns out, the FWP was skeptical of the guy being able to shoot daily limits of birds and remain with possession limits and had been monitoring his posts to build enough evidence to check his camper.

The guy was over his possession limit and lost his hunting privileges for something like 2 years.

 

[switchback270]

Once in PA while running coon hounds on state game lands.

Once in MT. Wasn’t in the field but a warden followed us into town to a local gas station after seeing the rack of my brothers bull in the truck bed. He checked our coolers,evidence of sex, tags, etc and chatted for a few minutes. Real nice guy.

 

[JWP58]

Twice. Once sage grouse hunting and once by two wardens riding mules in a wilderness area.

 

[JWP58]

I'm not sure, but you certainly hear of people getting busted for their social media posts.

I'm a hardcore bird hunter and there was a guy who used to post on a bird hunting board about his extended trips to hunt Montana. That guy bragged about shooting limits everyday (he'd arrive a few days before the season opened and stay for almost the entire season). If you're shooting 4 sharptails and 3 pheasants a day (not to mention a few partridge), you're going to have to consume a lot of birds or run into a possession limit issue quickly. The guy was also not very considerate to resident hunters because he was not very secretive about where he hunted and invited people who he met through the board to come hunting in the area he stayed (all public and walk in hunting areas).

Quite a few people asked about how he managed the possession issue and he said he always stayed within the limit. Frankly, the guy seemed to like the attention he got from board members who enjoyed him recounting his hunts. It seemed the guy enjoyed having his ego stroked to the point that he was not going to stop posting about shooting daily limits or posting about where he was hunting.

Turns out, the FWP was skeptical of the guy being able to shoot daily limits of birds and remain with possession limits and had been monitoring his posts to build enough evidence to check his camper.

The guy was over his possession limit and lost his hunting privileges for something like 2 years.

You mean Ol' Roy?

 

[Huntin wv]

I've been checked several times fishing in WV, but have never been checked hunting here. I was checked once fishing in MD and once mulie hunting in WY. All of them were friendly and I always tell them I appreciate them doing their job. I have hunted/fished 7 other states besides the ones mentioned above and have never been checked in any of them.


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[willidru]

In 15 years I've been checked:
- 2 times abalone diving (CA)
- 2 times at my duck club (CA)
- 2 times at state game refuges hunting ducks (CA)
- 1 time shooting a river for dove (CA)
- 1 time hunting ducks at a river (Nevada)

So either the show "Wild Justice" was looking for extra footage or I must look like a shady character . FYI I've never been ticketed.

 

[svivian]

I get checked for fishing liscenses all the time in Colorado because I am a spear fisherman. Few lakes allow it but boy is it funny as hell to watch new DOW officers watch me come out of the water in a suit with a gun in my hand. Only other times were always duck hunting, never during big game though.

 

[twall13]

I've been checked a few times during upland or waterfowl hunts here in Utah. I've never been checked for big game in Utah aside from the check stations. That said, my sole experience hunting deer in Wyoming we had an officer stop by our camp and check everyone. No big deal as everything was in order and the officer seemed friendly enough. I don't know if we were just lucky or if Wyoming is patrolling a lot more than Utah as that's a small sample size in Wyoming. I should probably mention that the area we were hunting in Wyoming had a lot of private land checkerboarded in with the public so that may have been why there was more of a game warden presence as well. They seem to focus efforts more on areas where there is the potential for conflicts/illegal activity associated with private land.