trophyhuntr

Are they allowed just to show up on your property or hunting club and walk through the woods, or do they have to have a reason. What are the laws on what they can or cant do on coming onto private land.

eng40sqd

In Va. I am pretty sure that if the property is posted they CAN go onto it without having to be invited or ask landowners permission. If it is not posted they can NOT go onto it without being invited! Atleast that is the way one of the wardens explained it to me some years back. I thought this was odd but he said it was how it was as far as them coming to check hunters. I think he also stated that of they witnessed an illegal or unsafe act on un-posted private property that they then could come onto it.

Anyone else from Va know?? DO I remember correctly on this one or am I way off??[:-]

Georgetownboys

Two words. . . .probable cause. Wardens have much more latitude than most other enforcement folks. That can swing both ways. Tag-em ASAP.

JZarr

Here in IL I' m 99% sure they can come onto your property at any time to check you out. Although most of the time they will wait by your home or vehicle and check you on the way out. Most wardens hunt in their free time and they know hunters don' t like to be needlessly disturbed. However, if they have reason to suspect you' re baiting where you' re not supposed to or using an illegal weapon they will more than likely try to catch you in the act.

Tomster

I had one come up on me in PA when I was packing up my stuff into the truck. He drove up on me while on a dirt road through some power lines.

He asked for my tags which I had already put in the truck. I showed him my doe tags since was the early PA doe muzzleloader season. He asked me if I had gotten anything and I said, do you see one. I was being a little smart but I was nice after that. He asked me if I had another gun with me other than the muzzleloader and I said no, which was true. I did take a shot at a buck earlier, six pointer and missed thankfully. The way the light was coming through the woods, I could not see the horns. After the shot, the buck turned and that is when I saw the horns. He just stayed there not moving. There is a guy that moved in near my friends hunting land and I believe he called the Game Commission and probably stated people were illegally hunting in the woods behind him which is not true. We are far enough away from him to be legal. Two years ago he a his buddy were shooting at targets in his backyard on the first day of deer.

I talked to him for a while and mentioned a guys name who lives by me. He is a game warden and a police officer, and a nice guy.

Anyway, as long as you are legal, than you don' t have to worry, but it' s like having the police pull you over.

Tomster

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Stump_MN_Hunter

I believe that here in MN they can check you whenever they want. On private land, I don' t think they would come and check unless they have a reason to. I am all for them being able to check you whenever they want. It' s their job and it keeps people honest. I believe that a law was over turned for the DNR to come into your fish house or into your boat without needing a search warrant. I' m glad they did over turn it. People were saying that a fish house should be viewed the same way as your home. That' s BS. Sure it' s your personal property, but it' s on something that everyone owns and is regulated. Seems to me that the only people that have problems with the DNR checking you and your belongings whenever they want....are the people that have something to hide. Sorry I just had to vent, but I can' t stand people that poach and take over-limits of game.

I suppose I better throw this in....I' m not saying that anyone that has responded to this thread is that type of person.

OneShotCharlie

not sure bout here in arkansas, but i think they can come on private land only if they suspect something is happening there. a friend of mine was huntin on our land and a game warden caught him w/no orange on so he got a 150.00 fine. this is the same game warden that gave a 7 year old a fine for killin a spike as his first deer.

Jorgy

Thankfully I have never met a game warden who wasn' t anything but a all out nice/good person. In Wisconsin they can be on private land without permission, I' m not sure about here in Colorado.

Game wardens have way more latitude to work with than a police officer as I understand it. Probable cause doesn' t really work with game wardens since anytime your in the woods or water they have jurisdiction.

I guess I haven' t ever had a problem with game wardens though since I have never had a reason to, life is easier that way.

Blood Trail

In VA they can and do come on Private land. I hunt a 300 acre mountain side that is 1 mile off a state dirt road. We left the gate unlock and he came in. Wrote one of my buddies a ticket for not wearing blaze while sitting in his stand (Spotted him from the road). It was the last day of the season at about 3:30pm. Talk about killing your last chance for the big one.

On another occasion we had someone steal a 10 gauge out of the truck while we were turkey hunting. We called the game warden because the neighbor saw the perps car make and model. The warden spent more time interrogating us and our equipment than trying to help.

I think most wardens are decent but some of them can be a bit over the top. They know you don' t like to see them coming even if you are not doing anything wrong. At least the police pull you over for a reason.