ORIGINAL: R.S.B.In over 29 years as a Game Warden I have never even heard of a Game Warden doing a strip search let along a body cavity search.
I only brought it up to see ifMikeE51848and Pa Trophy Man saw any limits to police powers. If they don't then there is really nothing to discuss.
BTW, what would you do if, while doing a license check,you encountered a hunter who reeked of marijuana and you did not find his stash in his pockets or game bag?
You do not have to have probable case for a license check, bag check or for stopping and questioning a hunter or a person in a vehicle.
You don't even need reasonable suspicion for these activities and can detain someone who will not comply. These checks,which are in fact compulsory, have nothing to do with Terry stops (requires reasonable suspicion, no requirement to submit to a search [except for apat down for weapons]or to answer questions or to be more than briefly detained) or mere encounters (no suspicion, but whereone can refuse to talk to or remain with the LEO) .
While presently lawful in Pa., these police-state tactics (which are not available to other LEO's) do not endear the PGC to those of us who treasure liberty.
But, if you want to be a functional member of society you will just have to learn to live by the standards acceptedby society, the laws and the courts and I guess that includes Game Wardens checking hunters.
As much as we love it, hunting is recreation, a relatively trivial pursuit in the scheme of things. It pales in importance when compared to issues of national defense, support of family, religion, etc. and is a voluntary pastime.A persondoes not have to submit to this system andcan take up other activities rather than put himself in a position to be abused by PGC officials and still remain a "functional member of society."
Pa. is hemorrhaging hunters relative to other states and this customer relations issue is part of it. It's not just about the deer.