martin5642

THe other day i was just getting into my tree stand when i heard some deer run off. i just figured they just heard me climbing up in the stand but later found out it was a dang truck driving down the logging rd beside my stand. A game warden. He had the nerve to ask me to get down. He asked me how it was going. i almost told him great till you drove your D#$@ truck up to my stand. But i held my feelings in and ended up getting out of a ticket for not wearing my orange in the stand. Do any of you think it is wrong for them to come into the woods? i think he should have just waited by my truck til i came out.

buckeye

I have no problem with them coming into the woods for probable cause. So many people break game laws and I wish they could all be caught. Game laws are put in place for a reason. To protect us hunters and the game we pursue. So why would any one want to break them?????

martin5642

I totally agree about poachers and people like that getting caught - i hope they get em all. but he had no probable cause, just my truck parked on our lease.

martin5642

i dont understand having to wear orange in the stand. but i geuss its the law.

CR

Hunting without orange .... sounds like probable cause to me

Cougar Mag

You are lucky he didn't write you up for not wearing orange if it was supposed to be worn.

In my area you never see a game warden, as the wardens are spread to thin over a large area. I'd like to see some poachers caught! Better off calling the county sheriff's office here.

rcd567

In Iowa or Nebraska, a person doesn't have to wear blaze orange while bowhunting. You were bowhunting right? Now firearm hunting...thats differant. Gotta wear it while your hunting with a firearm. Either way, I'd welcome him and cooperate. Then I question him like Elliott Ness. These guys usually have a huge amount of information on where the big ones are, what kind of year it is, ect. ect.

Kanga

I think you will find that Game Wardens dont need probable cause to check you out and they can enter any property at any time they wish.

mez

I used to think that also Ausie, we are going to find out in SD. Everyone here thought that was the case. We had a game warden arrested for tresspassing this fall and the courts are going to sort it out. It is NOT a law on the South Dakota books that a game warden can enter without probable cause. The law states the warden has to observe illegal activity occurring to enter private property and our Game and Fish used their own little extension to the law. I and most everyone else I know was under the impression that game wardens had no boundaries, not so in South Dakota. I for one am glad, IMO the Game and Fish does not subscribe to the innocent until proven guilty theory that our justice system is based on.

MA Jay

Game Wardens are no different or better than most people. Some are complete head case jerks who get off on the power to pull you from a tree stand and ruin your hunt. I have met a few of those. Some are just hard working joe's doing everything in their power to do the job they were hired to do in a professional and efficient manner and truly have passion for the outdoors which they protect, I've met a few of them. Some are lazy, park at the end of a dirt road and nap .. couldn't be bothered with poachers or wildlife .. just killing time till retirement when they can sit and nap at out of the way places in peace. Met a few of those as well.

Thankfully most are good, honest people trying to do an honorable and tough job. I've found you can tell which of the 3 you are dealing with in the first 10 seconds of meeting you. Which of the 3 was the warden you met? I'm sure it wasn't the lazy guy as he wouldn't have bothered to drive down the road!