Game Wardens and Property Rights

[MossRoad]

I suspect they're spread relatively thin in most states. I know, in the past at least, that half of the Texas game wardens are stationed along the coast. That leaves a lot of Texas covered by very few game wardens. And the only place I've had a game warden check my fishing license was at Port Aransas. That happened twice in 20 years, but that's the only time in my 70 years.

Over 40 years ago when I was a recruiting officer, one of the counties I visited only had one town. The town had a one man police department; a 28 year old giant who seemed like a nice guy. There was one state trooper and one game warden assigned to the county. And the county had a sheriff. The sheriff had one deputy, an older man in a wheelchair who served as dispatcher for all 4 of the county's law enforcement officers, and they all just helped each other. In fact, while I was there, a rancher called because he'd seen a jeep on his property and figured it was a poacher. So the sheriff went with the game warden to check it out.

Ha! That's pretty good. I bet that gave meaning to living independently to the locals.

 

[whistlepig]

The DNR was NOT "watching my land" or protecting my land or anything else. What they were doing was harassing me, my wife and friends in an attempt to strongarm one of us into doing something we were not willing to do. AND THEY EVEN ADMITTED THAT THIS WAS THEIR PLAN!!! And while attempting to do this the blatantly violated my rights as a landowner and the law.
But hey, whats wrong with that????

With all due respect I seem to be missing something in this story. Why would the game officers be going at you this hard? They are few and far between here. They would not have this kind of time or manpower to do what they are doing to you.

 

[scesnick]

No sir, it doesn't mean you should give up any rights at all, and maybe the game wardens in your area are as bad as you say. I don't know them, but it's hard to imagine them being that bad and still able to keep their jobs. With what you've said about them, I can only imagine what they say about you.:laughing: I was just trying to understand how anyone in law enforcement could be that fearful of a criminal or that uncooperative with other law enforcement officers.

Again, I am NOT fearful of the violator in any way shape or form. just because I don't want my tires flat don't mean I am fearful of him.. I know what they say about me. they don't like me because I had a history of not taking thier crap ( see below: ) and I did not take their crap this time either and I challenged them when their actions were obviously wrong, (which most people are afraid to do) But, I will tell you this, after this incident they seem to respect my property alot more. They still come into my farm every hunting season, which is absoluteley fine with me. But now they actually ask if they can ride into my fields and they stay on the roads.


WHistleppig,
I have had other run ins with them also. It came to a point where I had to stand up to them and call them out for questionable practices. I had a bear chasing my horse about 10 or so yrs ago. It continually chased her around my fields slapping it one time in the hind quarters with its claws. It was only a matter of time till this bear got my horse down . I called multiple times and asked them to remove the bear. They did not of course. Finally, I caught the bear doing this when I had my rifle close. I shot the bear. I then called the DNR and told them I shot it. The next thing I know, I am threatened with jail time simply for protecting my property ( my wifes horse is a full blooded registered Morgan horse, Not cheap at all) I was questioned 4 times, ( once at work) and that interview was coordinated with another DNR officer questioning my wife alone at the same time.
The third "interview" was done in my living room where I was called by the DNR officer a "liar" and that I shot this bear just to shoot it. this was while a second DNR officer walked through my house looking at every single thing he could.( short of actually opening up closets and drawers. ) My my locked gun safe was of special interest. I felt as if I was in Germany in the 1940's.
The fourth interview was done in my Wardens office. I filled him inbeforehand on what was going on. They proceeded to tell my Warden that I was lying and that they just didn't see how I could shoot this bear on the run at 240+ yards. ( yes, they measured the distance) and that I shot the bear just for the fun of it.
My Warden then set them in their place by asking why I would call and tell them I shot the bear if i did it illegally and why didn't they check their phone records and complaints about bears to see if I actually did call and complain about this nuisence bear and finally he pulled my employee training record to show them that I was in fact the S.O.R.T. sniper at was trained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to make just such a shot and if they would have bothered to ask any of these questions they wouldn't have wasted everyones time...
Needless to say all charges were soon dropped.

So, when this poacher, near my farm came up I guess they took it as an opportunity to get a jab back at me since I ticked them off so bad on this bear issue and made them look like fools.
Md. Has a ton of DNR officers. Especially in my county since the hunting is so good here .

 

[Taylortractornut]

I had a friend that found out that they can go anywhere like that in MS. He had problems with them actually cuttin locks off gates to enter on 4 wheelers.
He had some trouble with a game warden a few years ago on his place. He had inheirited 65 acres and had cleared a few lanes in it and worked hard to get it ready to fence in. He got a ticket one day for not having enough orange on. And harrassed him for operating a tractor, hinting it was possible for a seizure to go through be cause he had a pistol on his person while operating his tractor.

That was thrown out but the warden made it clear they were to keep an eye on him. My friend is one of these types that has an answer for everything and isnt bashful. He drove past the wardens truck on the way to his place and got his turkey gear on. When he heard them comming down the trail he stripped down the the Bday suit and waited. When they got there they saw him in his blind and told him to come out. He told me whe nhe stepped out in his 80 percent orange and nothing else walking to them with his hunting liscence and his box of shells. They took his word for it and also havent been on his place since then. THe warden got a little older and more experienced with dealing with people that they have become friends now.

 

[RadarTech]

Guys,
In NC--- I have seen the 2 extremes in 2 adjacent counties...

one guy --- older and just retired was the nicest and most helpful GW I have ever seen...

the other- well there have been so many stories about this guy...I don't know where to start.---

When I was in the Marines we used to say that we had the 10% crew..
the bad apples, the brown stuff that stinks birds.. and ever since then, I have equated that to everything..
10% of every major grouping is less than desireable..

I have seen bad teachers, bad LEOs, bad drivers, bad tractors, bad cars, bad posts on TBN.....

So does this thread or any of the posts surprising? nope.. should it, I sure wish it did......



J

 

[whistlepig]

This has filled in the gaps in the story. I appreciate you taking the time to tell it. I can see where shooting a protected animal like a bear could have the DNR down on you. I would have done the same thing. We do have horses. We have no Morgan horses but sure wish we did. I would kill any beast that threatened our horses. Even at that the game officers out there seem way too extreme. We could talk it out with the wildlife officers here where we live. It's not fair to say all DNR people are bad. They are welcome around here. But we both live in a different place. I don't want the DNR down on me but I would have killed the bear too. No sympathy for the poachers though. They are much worse than any bear.

 

[YanmarFever]

Scesnick
What they wanted you to do was to tell them the name of the poacher, which is ok.
HOWEVER, you would of been slapped with a subpoena to appears in court and testify against this individual, which would turn around and make your life a living hel....
Flat tires, poisoned animals, burned house ect....

I witnessed a gang burglarizing a neighbors house & called the police as a good citizen should. All it got me was a subpoena to appear in court to testify against excons, gang members, ect...
Needless to say I wasn't to happy with the situation.

So I can see why you did this.

I have walked that line, it wasn't fun always looking over my shoulder everywhere I went. I was told there was a piece of lead with my name on it. My reply was , lead fly's both ways !

 

[scesnick]

This has filled in the gaps in the story. I appreciate you taking the time to tell it. I can see where shooting a protected animal like a bear could have the DNR down on you. I would have done the same thing. We do have horses. We have no Morgan horses but sure wish we did. I would kill any beast that threatened our horses. Even at that the game officers out there seem way too extreme. We could talk it out with the wildlife officers here where we live. It's not fair to say all DNR people are bad. They are welcome around here. But we both live in a different place. I don't want the DNR down on me but I would have killed the bear too. No sympathy for the poachers though. They are much worse than any bear.

Not all the DNR officers here are bone heads. Just a select few and they all seem to work the end of the county I live in. They do still ride into my farm during hunting season, which I have no probelm with what so ever. I told them that they can "visit" ( and then leave at the end of thier visit) any time they want because me and my hunting friends do not do anything illegal. I am not going to lose my Gov't job for a stinkin' deer that's for sure.


tractorErnie,
Finally !! Someone that gets it !! It isn't a matter of being scared ( like Bird seemed to insist was the case) It is the matter of wanting to live hassle free. And, in this particular case, I wasn't about to cave into the pressure the DNR was putting on me that's for sure......

 

[Oldtrout]

As a retired CO with 30 years service;I can say that the only people that didn't want to see us on their land were up to no good. I have seen tires shot off tractors,bullet holes in the side of a house,most people figured it was a lot better to see a CO parked on their property than some half drunk with a 30-30 under his arm.

One thing I don't understand is why someone involved in law enforcement be a guard or whatever,would refuse to give information to another law enforcement agency.

 

[Ken45101]

The game belongs to the state. In Ohio if you are hunting you are hunting Ohio's deer, turkey, rabbit's, etc. even if they are on your own property. I think this is a good thing.

So when the STATE'S deer runs out and damages my car, the state will pay for the damage, just like I'm liable if my horse got out on the road and caused damage? Sure.....

Ken