Rammer

Game wardens can come an search freezers/houses etc at their free will if they so choose in SD. I personally have no problem with this law. I have nothing to hide, so let them come if they want.

As for shooting deer an stuff without a license that information can be found in your states hunting handbook or the states Game and Fish website. In South Dakota landowners do not need a license if they are hunting small game on their land, if they choose to hunt waterfowl on their land they need to buy the Federal stamp. Deer licenses in our state are done lottery style, so landowners might not even draw a buck tag, but there is a new landowner/operator license that allows you to pick one of your quarter sections, and you can only hunt on that land and shoot a deer (buck or doe).

davidmor

Uhg, statements like this are exactly why our constitutional rights are eroding so fast. When did it ever become 'okay' for any governmental officer to search your property "at their free will", especially a game warden!? The authors of our constitution (you know, they guys who actually created this country) understood the importance of keeping government under ourcontrol and because of this, they wrote our constitution to protect the citizens from the government. A huge part of this is keeping government OUT of our personal property unless they have a search warrant, which they can only get with propable cause by a judge. Any game warden who wants to search my home "at their free will" better have a piece of paper signed by a judge firstor they are not getting in without my permision onlyif I decide to give it. Any good constitutional lawyer could easily eat up agame officerin court if they found something in a home that they searched without permission "at their free will". Just ask all the drug dealers or murders who are back on the streets because of a police officer who got evidence using their free will instead of a search warrant.

If your game department in SDactually searches private property using their free will, I suggest the citizens in your state needs to remove the game department and start over again. Start their training with a class on the US constitution and individual rights.

Sorry for the rant, but things like this really get me riled up!

strut

I don't have anything against game wardens but here in Mo. they have more power than the elected sheriff, Seems to me he ought to be the most powerful person in the county, after all he is the only law officer that has been elected by the people.

DJanes1

Personally I wish I saw my game wrden more often. Where I hunt there are several people who probably have alot to hide and alot to fear when they are around. I for one would want them on my side and be on their good side. I'm pretty sure if they showed up at your house and wanted to look in your freezers and fridge they have a pretty good reason. As undermanned as they are, they don't have time to do surprise inspections for the fun of it. Some one has either tipped them off or you have a unfavorable history with them. The wildlife belongs to the state and the people, and the wildlife is on your property and the state has the right to come and check on it. If you don't want game wardens on your property than you must have somthing to hide. They are not there to ruin an honest mans day, just the dishonest.

White-tail-deer

In PA only people who make their living off of their land, farmers,don't need to buy a hunting license. Landowners still need to purchase hunting licenses and have to follow all game laws and regs. The PGC can come on your land and search your house and car at any time.

zekeskar

Ha! excellent joke!

younghunter03

i dont think that game wardens showed be able to walk around your land without having a reason cause that really screws up my hunting land but if they want to wait at my vehical i would be more than happy to talk to them then

MassBowhunter

I think the fact that game wardens have more power thanlaw enforcementand in most states can trespass at will and and conduct illegal search and seizures at will is a bit offas well. I've never dealt with this issue first hand, but I think if you deny access to your home you'll just end up waiting 15 minutes for a phone warrant and law enforcement tearing your place up while the game warden ischecking your fridge and freezer.

As for landowners I think they should be required to have a tag (fee orfree is a different issue) simply to keep track of herd numbers.

[/align]

wildlands

In Ga. the landowner can get tags free for thier land. But you are not allowed to hunt anywere else with these tags. You are not allowed to have 2 sets ie landowner and regular hunting tags. As far as the Gamewarden is concerned They can go onto any property to check the land without a warrent but I do belive they have to have consent or a warrent to check vehicles or house. I could be wrong about this last part.

Sylvan

Last I checked the 4th ammendment had not been repealed. No government agent may enter your house (or curtaledge) without probable cause suported by an "Oath or affrirmation" (search warrant) unless there is immediate action required to stop a crime. In other words a police officer if he sees someone about to kill someone may break in to save the person without a warrant or for example if he sees a drug deal going on through a window. With regard to game wardens being able to come into your home and search your freezer any time they want; whoever told you this is full of B.S. Your truck and your land beyond your immediate living area or again curtaledge is a different matter and its true that a game warden has more leeway here than does a police officer.