dakine999

I am first to admit my ignorance is the biggest cause of this, however, I was just wondering what people thought. Last Saturday muzzle came in here in VA so I took Friday off to sit in the woods with my bow before shots starting ringing the woods around me. I've been mostly hunting locally and decided to take a couple hour trip to a place that I've been hunting a few times a year for a very long time. Anyways, Friday night a buddy and I were checking out a new pond that the landowner put in on the property we hunt and on the way out my buddy shined his flash light on one of the fields we hunt. We do this every year and I thought we were good because all I had in my vehicle was a bow with no broadheads and my unloaded blackpowder rifle stillin the bag, which were both in the back of my SUV. That was my first mistake! As soon as we pulled out of the property and on to the main road we were pulled over by a game warden. We didn't know what happened at first because the game warden was in an unmarked car and also not in uniform when he approached are vehicle. We only assumed he was a game warden when he asked for our hunting licenses because he never identified himself or showed us any kind of badge. Well to make an already long story short we both received 3 tickets. One for illegally hunting, another for spotlighting without written permission, and lastly one for spotlighting with a firearm and bow in the vehicle. I was guilty for having the bow in the back of my truck which I was unaware was a violation until I reread the rules book. I did think I was fine with my black powder rifle being in the truck because it was unloaded. What's crazy is I did have written permission to hunt the property, however, when I tried to tell the game warden this he said something about a hunt club hunting the adjacent property and I did not have permission to shine my flashlight on their property. We are talking a 10+ acre field here which my buddies flashlight could never shine across much less reach the adjacent property. Unfortunately everytime I opened my mouth to ask the game warden something he would immediately tell me I was lucky not to be thrown in jail and my truck and weapons taken from me. I'm inclined to try and challenge this in court, however, I know how much power game wardens have here in VA and I do not want my fines to increase because I go to court.

Anyone have any experience with a similar situation which would help me decide if I should go to court or just pay the fines???