Game Wardens above the law?
 

I have pondered this for a few days and am still in wonderment of situation. Almost 2 weeks ago this coming sat. was our first part of the Illinois Firearm Deer Season.
I had parked out on the field road 1/2 mile from the main road as I have done for the past 3 years both bow and gun hunting this property. Landowners house and farm just behind me. I have a pair of domestic dogs come through my pop up blind site about 1000 am. Bout 1020 I see someone creeping along the timbers edge North of me, towards the other main county road there, wearing dark pants and a tan colored jacket/shirt. I am thinking its the dogs owner for they both had collars on. I thought what a DA for not haveing blaze orange on and in the timber on top of that. Illinois state law states that you MUST have at least 400 sg. inches on to be in the field during the firearm season, no matter what!!
I swing my video camera over there and zoom in to find out its a Game Warden creeping along the timbers edge/inside bout 80 yds from my stand. Thankfully downwind and on field edge opposite side. He has no blaze orange on, not even a hat. He is looking real intent. More than likely for me, maybe seeing my truck in the field road from his side of the block. He can't come no farther for that area is bout 3-4 inches deep mud/water and he only had leather boots on. He finally leaves. Figured he would swing round the bridge and come in behind me. Never did.
What kind of LEO who enforces the law as such, who does write citations for this type of thing, go and do what he tells people not to do, and does it himself?
With being a LEO myself for almost 20yrs come Jan. makes me think he thinks he feels he is above the law? I don't know who this cat is for I have on speed dial 3 of the local ones around here and thought bout calling one just to check to see who it is, but at same time don't want to start a fire if I don't need to.
REALLY thought hard bout burning a round into the dirt at base of blind towards his direction when he was in the mud/water just to see him drop and low crawl then thought "No". I know what kind of long arms we have and a few phone calls go a long way to ruin someones day. Not to mention if this cat is new to the area and wanting to make a name for himself. He could become my bad tattoo on my azz I can't get rid of!!!!!! Sorry so long, just curious what others have to say.

In addition to thinking he is above the law, sounds like he is not very bright either.

Roger that!!!!

Were you recording? Do you feel the recording is clear enough to identify the individual, or do you have other information that does? I think you should absolutely report it. To me, there is nothing more vile and dangerous than an LEO who violates the law he has sworn uphold. He is worse than the poacher where everyone screams, "Report him, report him!"

Your fear of reporting him? Retaliation from him and/or other LEOs who would be pissed that you decided to mess with their armed fraternity. That's something in our "free society" that we should never fear.

Yes I was recording. Its just a habit when I view. I can see him clear enough to tell if he missed any spots while shaving that morning.
I am as well one of their armed fraternity. I am not "fearing" this man by no means, for in the right instances, I have more arrest authority than he does, I am just rather curious as to why he feels that he is able to do this and not abide by the rules and laws that govern our state that he has sworn to uphold.

I have ran across co's here in Michigan who will stand on the pier next to you chat for a hour then ask for your license when you catch something. Street cloths no identification. Makes you a little irritated even though you are absolutely legal. And if he is out there with out the proper amount of orange on he is a moron. What good is catching someone breaking the law if it gets you shot in the process? The new ones are the worst. We had one sit on the road and glass our property for two weeks straight one year. We have never had any prior problems or fines issued.

I don't mean "fear" as in you are afraid of this guy like a little boy wetting his pants. But clearly from the post quoted below, you are not wanting to deal with the repercussions of reporting him. That is the type of "fear" I'm referring to.

How would any of us know? You saw it. You know or can find out who he is, so why don't you ask him, or his boss? What good does posting about it here do you, while doing nothing about it? Seems to me that your position as an LEO obliges you to do so. But that might not sit well among those within your fraternity, would it?

What I would do as one LEO to another is find out who he is and confront him in person about it. Ask him what he was up to on that date, time and place?

Are you for real? Why would a 20 year LEO speak of such things on the internet? I know LEO's they don't talk business on the net. If I'm not mistaken they are warned against it.

Why ask the general public which already thinks on the whole that LEO's believe they are above the law a question like this? Kind of like reminding someone you offended of the offense when they haven't thought of it.

"I am just rather curious as to why he feels that he is able to do this and not abide by the rules and laws that govern our state that he has sworn to uphold."

You tell us, your closer to that element than the butcher or candle stick maker. Probably thought the safety of the many out ways the freedoms of the one. He has legal grounds to think so with the inception of sobriety check points.

here in virginia, the open day of rifle season, we had 2 wardens walk about a half mile into our land about 12 oclock...of course everyone in our private land was out of the woods in camp just talkin but they come in, check everyones licenses, talked a few minutes, we beside our property is another 5 acrer peice of land and 3 guys were hunting it, and you could see them (had there orange on) well the wardens just cut straight down into the woods, nothin but tan on to go check the, guys.....they must have a set if they can just walk into the woods with just tan on twoards a group of hunters...same kinda situtation, haha

just thought id share