Has ANYONE had a positive experience with a Game Warden?? Ever?? I could use a reality check on this.

I met a game warden this weekend during the deer gun opener here in TX. Considering it's my first deer season as a new hunter - it was also my first game warden ever.

Background - my son and I had jumped a 6pt last month while looking for squirrels. So, when gun season opened this weekend and he was at his mom's for visitation - I decided to see if I could ambush this buck.

I had my topo and aerial maps ready to go. Used my GPS to get into position. Had a good [what I thought at least] setup and was in position at 0530. Heard him coming thru the woods at 0645 and didn't hear or see anything after 0700.

I waited until 0745 before I even moved a muscle. Well, I stood up to stretch and thought I saw something about 50 yds off in the thickets. About that time - he stood up and bolted!! And I almost needed to change my shorts. hehe..

I followed him with my barrel ready to fire with my finger on the trigger as he ran but didn't feel comfortable with the shot. So I simply watched him run off.

Looking at my maps, I figured he would prolly head to a different area a couple hundred yds over. Sooo, I go back to the car and drop off my jacket and see if I could get a shot at him at that location.

I got back to my car... took off my jacket... sat down to make a phone call and smoke a cig before heading back into the woods. Just as I'm finishing up my phone call - here's comes a game warden.

No preliminaries... niceties... or anything... "Can I see your gun?" he asks. [I'm sure all of you experienced guys see it coming already...] I received a loaded weapon in vehicle violation.

I questioned the fact that I was sitting on the passengers side floorboard and the vehicle was not moving. He stated that didn't matter - my gun was loaded and leaning against the vehicle and that was all that mattered.

I was asking some questions about the rule trying to understand what was exactly the issue. I was 3 miles back in the woods on a dirt road less than 15 feet from the woods. I couldn't get ANY reasonable response and was basically told to shut up.

He didn't use those words exactly, he just said that I was lucky he was only charging me with a loaded weapon as opposed to a felony of hunting from the road and I should count my blessings. At that point - I decided to shut up and let him do his thing.

Later - while discussing this with some other hunters at the camping area - I learned that I was *indeed* in violation the letter of the law... not the intent.. I knew that you do not drive around with a loaded weapon. I didn't know that you couldn't lean your weapon against your car. Plus some of the stories that I was told was AMAZINGLY nit-picky!!

I called the judge this morning to find out what the fine was. I was told that 'it depends'. Hmmmmm..... Turns out they want $150 for this 'violation'. Sounds like a racket to me. No listed fine amounts and up to the 'discretion' of the judge???

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Now if I had blazed away at that running deer and spent the rest of the day trailing a wounded animal - I wouldn't have been at my car to get hassled.
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So someone reality check me here. When do you load/unload your weapon?


Sheeesh....


Houston, TX