Game warden etiquette

[Marc B.]

I've been checked a lot while fishing and never had a problem. Treat them with respect and don't do anything wrong and there is no problem. I haven't run into one that was a jerk yet, all have been good guys.

[Russ Clagett]

Each state will differ....here in Texas a Game Warden has much more latitude in search and seizure than other officers...this is why task forces take Game Wardens with them every time...

I agree they have a tough job, and I support them....we have to. I just wish they could put down the mirror sunglasses and cowboy hats, and quit playing with their stupid gunbelts while proclaiming..."STATE GAME WARDEN"....we can all tell by their uniforms and trucks.

There are great ones....and then there are guys like the one I just mentioned above....

I hunted out of state once with a friend, in Arkansas. Opening day we were leaving my truck and moving into the woods when we were stopped by an Arkansas warden...nicest guy ever. Polite...he checked us out and we were good to go cause we follow the rules. He then asked where we intended to hunt, and offered us information about good/better spots. Then he wished us luck and left WITHOUT slamming doors or loud radios or any of that.

We need more like him. I'm done with the glasses/cowboy hat/gunbelt guy.

Hopefully there are State people on here who understand the balance between officer safety and pissing off the next generation of hunters and anglers.........

[jhg]

Follow the law. Everything else is simply common courtesy. Wardens have a tough job. And  all of us have bad days.

Joshua

[MERGANZER]

I never had a problem with them.  Respect goes a long way and if hunting with a firearm I immediately empty the gun and show them its empty to take the stress out of the conversation.  I have never met a game warden that wasnt anything but professional.

Adam

[GreyGoose]

I'm glad they're out there doing their jobs, both as a hunter and a landowner.  I've never had an unpleasant encounter with one, and don't expect to.

[Bowwild]

I offered that SOME Conservation officers have more authority than others and that is TRUE, depending upon what state you are in. Maybe not in Michigan?

I won't name the state, I've worked in four, but some of our officers were reprimanded if they were the "throw em on the hood type".  Sure some fellows deserve a ticket, and more. Most of the time though inform and educate is the discretion many CO's will follow.  

By the way, I treat the airline gate attendants with great respect too, especially if I need some help with their mistake. I've seen folks get nasty with these folks and get no satisfaction. I've come up next and received free tickets, alternate flights, etc. Lots of discretion for a lot of people if you treat them right.

[Bill Turner]

My hat is off to anyone in this line of work. Gotta be tough to know that everyone you approach has to be considered armed and dangerous. That is what I call "living on the edge".

[LoneWolf73]

Postive comments:
1. Treat with respect, how you want to be treated.

2. If breaking a law knowingly or Not accept ticket with respect. You will get your day in court to make your point. (I deserved every speeding ticket I got).

3. These folks have a tough job and help regulate the law breakers. Hats off. Treat them like the "service men/women" they are protecting your.........

Negative:
1. I would not be a big fan of a Warden tracking me to a stand to ask for a license. Plenty of opportunity at the vehicle or on roads(Common sense just asking for trouble in my opimion). I would have to write a ticket/note to Game Warden for ruining hunt($100 a day). Might not get money but.....
2. Bad attitudes/disrespect(although a minority)come from both the public and law enforcement. It usually catches up to them in their lifetime.
Hard to hide bad behavior, a price is usually paid.

Bottom line: Say thank you at the end of your experience with law enforcement

     

[J. Holden]

I hunt some heavily used public land.  I'm happy to see them.  I never had follow me to my stand or walk up on me while on stand.  I think they don't want to ruin my hunt.  I have however had them meet me on the way out, in the parking lot, etc...  I treat them with respect, yes sir, no sir and so on.  I'm not doing anything wrong and have nothing to hide.  I've also benefited from them when I witnessed a poacher one season.

Now that I hunt with my 12 year old son I know he's watching me and I want him to see the badge commands respect.  I also want him to see there's no fear if you're doing nothing wrong.

"Do unto others as you would have done unto you."

-Jeremy  

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

More often then not if a warden is acting like a jerk ,  he is probably reacting to a jerk.

Never had a problem and I  have talked to a few,, Often they are a great resource as to what is going on and where if you take the time to visit with them.

[Geezer]

All the comments from everyone are very heartwarming.  This place impresses me more and more.        

I took a hunter safety class when I was 11 years old and the Game Warden who taught it also took some time after the class to talk with me about the job he loved so much.  By the end of the class I had made up my mind that I wanted to be just like him.  From that day, he and many others in the same uniform became my role models.  

Fast forward 45 years....because of the passion he instilled in me, I went to college, studied hard, received my degree, and lucky enough to become a game warden.  I am fortunate in that I have lived my dream for many, many years.  During the 25 years I was in the field I met thousands of warm, kind, friendly hunters and anglers.

Unfortunately  I was also shot at twice, cursed at, spat on and treated by some with very little respect...but I never let those bad experiences become the foundation of my next contact.  

The majority of game wardens have never forgotten their roots; nor that sportsmen contribute to conservation and pay their wages.  This post is not about me...but about all of you guys who bought licenses, value the role of conservation...and continue to support the things we love most.  I was only able to do what I did because of you all - Thank You!!

The downside to being a Game Warden?  Don't become one if you think you're going to hunt and fish a lot.

[The Vanilla Gorilla]

For the amount of money I spent on my lifetime combination license, I'd LOVE to have a visit with the game warden.  I'm 35 years old, have had my license since I was 15, and the only time Ive ever been checked was out of state.  I dont think Oklahoma even has any!  Where they is?

One spring I saw some guys running gill nets across a creek and were loading up a 50 gallon drum in their boat with sandbass and crappie.  I called every game warden in my area. Left voicemails cause nobody answered. Even had vehicle tag and the boat tag numbers.  Nobody called me back.

If bigfoot and a game warden approached me while I was in the woods, the sighting of a game warden would shock me more.

[Sam McMichael]

I have been checked a few times, and never received a citation. Most were courteous. As with any law officer, my basic responses are "yes, sir" or "no, sir".  Keep it polite and they tend to be polite also. Sure, you may come across a jerk now and then, but even then, calmess any politeness is the best way. Plus, you may get some good tips on hot hunting spots if you engage them in a friendly manner.

[DTS]

Keep your hands visible at all times. Keep your distance. Keep movement to a minimum.  Do only what they tell you to do, in a few short minutes all will relax.  The visit will have been productive to both parties.  Look at it as an opportunity to show law enforcement there are really good people out there.  Blessings.

[thumper-tx]

I have never had any issues in 35 years bowhunting. I am really glad those guys are doing their job and I wish there were a lot more of them.  I have ridden with some of the local Wardens on patrol and they deal with some real jerks and hardened criminals.

The only times I have seen Wardens get an attidude was when they were dealing with someone who had an attitude.

Here in Texas they can enter land at will and I am ok with that. In fact, I gave the local guys keys to all my gates.

[StickBowManMI]

Never had trouble with Game Wardens in New York or in Michigan. In fact, the last time I talked to one in Michigan, I had found a lost beagle while out bowhunting and I talked him out of part of his lunch for the beagle. The owner was coming but the dog had been lost for three days and was really hungry. THe Warden even offered to wait for the owner so that I could get out Bowhunting.

[Joe J]

Best fishing spots I've given away and received have been from Game Wardens...Treat with respect and you get it back.

[Plumber]

they dont bother me, If your not doing anything wrong,you have nothing to worrie about.I like talking to them.BUT nothing makes me madder, when right out of the gate they start being a jerk,trying to intimadate you in order to get a rise out of you.Iam always nice to them but if they come off as a jerk I show them what they want to see an get on my way.I had one game officer check my fishing licensee (5)times in a six hours I had enought of him an started raiseing hell with him.an told him to backoff an leave me alone.I was fishing a pond in the middle of nowhere.I thought I was on a hidden camra show I could not belive he kept coming back.

[gregg dudley]

I respect and appreciate the role of Game Wardens and Conservation Officers.  I respect both the agency and the individual.  That being said, I know where the general rub is and I understand it.

The fact that Game Wardens and Conservation officers have more lattitude with search and seizure and access on private lands is what generally causes conflict or resentment from outdoorsmen and the general public.  As citizens we all sacrifice personal liberties for the greater good every day.  It is a choice we make to be a member of society.  However, it has always struck me as wrong that we sacrifice additional personal liberties when we are participating in outdoor recreation.  

Being an outdoorsman is something that I am extremely proud of and I am as rule conscious and law abiding as I can possibly be in my hunting and fishing endeavors. I have absolutely no problem showing my license to anyone who asks to check it.  However, it chaps my hide to open coolers, totes, trunks, etc. for any game warden who gets the urge to check those things on a whim. I believe that the same rules of probable cause and search/seizure that apply to general law enforcement should apply to Game and Fish, DNR, etc.

I have never been cited for a game or fish violation and have only had a few experiences with officers who were less than professional.  I know that the field officer is doing his/her job.  I just feel like my rights are being suspended every time someone asks to look in my cooler.  Especially on private property.

Here is a funny story.  I used to hunt in Alabama a lot.  I mean A LOT!  To get home to Florida we crossed through Georgia.  Periodically the state of Georgia would have these huge stops that would involve DMV, highway patrol, Game and Fish, and every other agency you could think of.  They would check your drivers license, ask you if you had been drinking, and if you had any hunting equipment at all you would have to pull over and get checked.  It felt as close to being asked, "Papers please." as I ever hope to be in the United States of America.  

We got waved to the side of the rode one day and a young female (I know this has nothing to do with anything, I'm just painting the picture.) game warden asks us if we had any luck.  I told her that we had three processed deer in the coolers and she asked to see our licenses.  We gave her our Alabama hunting licenses and our Florida driver's licenses and it was more than she could handle.  She made the comment that we were in Georgia at least a half dozen times over the next ten minutes as I tried to explain basic geography and driving directions to her.  I was one step away from pulling out a map to clearly show her that we had to go through Georgia to get home when a  senior officer came over and waved us through.  My dad and I still laugh about that to this day.

[swampdrummer]

By far, most of my interactions with game wardens have been very positive but like Gregg, I've had encounters where I think the searching and questioning has gone a little too far.

Way back when,I had a game warden threaten to shoot the locks off of the truck tool box in my dads truck when exiting a WMA. Yes, I should have had the key. I grabbed the wrong set on my way out the door that morning. But to threaten a teenager with shooting off the locks was a bit over the top, I thought.

Just recently a female warden happened to be passing our front gate when my wife was coming home. The warden asked her for the gate combo so that she could drive into our property and that I knew her( the female warden)and she was sure I wouldn't mind. I've never met this warden and have had no interaction with her. I would have had no problem with her accessing through our gate but to claim she knew me to my wife was just a little hinky. She has the right to be on our property, but she'll be walking in if she does....