Game Wardens

[fishermantim]

I haven't had a run in with a "bad" cop, but then I haven't seen many of them to begin with.
The last one I ran into was checking licenses, and I realized that I had left mine at home.
Instead of giving me the 3rd degree, he gave me a citation and told me that if he didn't see a copy (faxed or mailed) of my license, then it would be a $50.00 fine. If he received the copy it would just be a warning.
He was stationed out of Westborough.
He was nice and polite and we had a civilized conversation which gave me some understanding as to what these officers have to deal with when it comes to poachers and a-holes. Heck, I bet we've all seen some of these clowns in our travels during the year.

If they come across as hardnosed and opinionated, it may be because they have encountered problem persons at that locale in the past.

I'd say give them the benefit of a doubt. If they come out with "guns blazing" from the start, just "yes sir" and "no sir"  them to death!

[skybuster20ga]

one thing that grinds me is there are ppl breaking laws all over the place around here and they do nothing to stop them. there was three brood stocked brookies on the ice at burnt meadow this weekend lots of ppl saw them and yet nothin was done. stanley pond has rainbows all over the ice up there. nothin was done. complaints have been made and nothin has been done. bait traps are being stolen and emptied, everyone knows who it is and nothin is being done. a friend of mine had 120 doz stolen from his bait box and still nonones looked into the suspect yet.

as for them not wasting their time.....**censored** warrants their time then!?! ther eis a warden that lives a mile from me on the river road, has deer poached 200yds from his house and doesnt check up on the kid who did it and was reported. the same kid who shot the doe caught a 4lb rainbow and kept it to be mounted, why cant they do anything about this. bugs the hell out of me when they would rather hassel you about checking your fish traps and checking lisences then catching poachers and game thievs

[blacktrap]

If you know who is doing those things and it bothers you why havent you talked with another warden and gotten something done about it?

[skybuster20ga]

gee....why didnt i think of that.....


ive spoke w/ two. and further more other ppl have also made complaints. that should be sufficiant.

[fishlessman]

almost forgot about one guy on sebago doing a routine safety check, show me the jackets whistle, throw ring etc, whole time he was hunched down with his hand ready to draw the gun, i dont see a need of that, he was an older warden to boot. one bad day in maine with all the days i fish, woiuld say they are fine in maine for the most part, maybe he had a bad experience with one of the boaters that day and was a little more cautious than normal

[IceMan100]

I posted this subject just to see how people would reply.
1. Everybody should respect each other.
2. There is no need of Attitude either way.  (when approached with attitude) it is deserving back.
3. No need of harassment while out doing the "legal" thing. and supporting the sport.


 

[Scalloper]

nope not once have i ever got a ticket but i ave seen them harrass a friend of mine at the sebago lake derby, checking him three times in 2 days, once the same warden saying he didnt remember checking him (yet our ice shacks hadnt moved an inch), wrote him a ticket for unattended traps because he didnt check them once all day. which IS NOT AGAINST THE LAW. HE TOLD HIM TO GO AHEAD AND FIGHT IT AND EITHER WAY HE WINS CUZ YOU EITHER LOSE A DAYS PAY TO GO TO COURT OR YOU PAY THE FINE AND LOSE THAT MONEY ANYWYAS.we couldnt believe our ear!! there were lots of complaints on this warden that fall and winter also.

as far as respectng law enforcment, i do, my father in law a a police chief for 15 years and my brotherinlaw IS also  a chief in nh and my wife worked for the sherriffs office for 6 years. i know lotsa friendly cops and i know a few jerks that thihk they are magnym P I also. there are some wardens that are douchebags and some that are decent. just like each and every man on this planet. i have watched them harrass ppl on the ice and in the woods and at tagging stations making one woman and daughter burts into tears insisting they didnt shoot their turkeys when in fact these two ladies could probably out fish and hunt half the ppl here.

and a warden that i bet most everyone on here knows that has retired was my baseball coach for most of my childhood.

the point i was making was there are some that are jackasses so dont lable me as an outlaw because of my view on this subject

Well said 

[sherpakroto]

Never had a problem. Growing up in Northern NH the wardens often stopped in to the camp for a warm cup of coffee. They usually got a good meal also, when they had time (funny: can't remember them not having time ). Throw a burger, brat, etc and a warm cup of coffee and they tend to hassle you less. Of course, you'll see them more often though 

[The Rusty Crab]

this is what im talking about, and if you read what my first post said, i said mostly only younger and southern part of the state. i had one up north have a beer w/ me while i sided a camp. hell of a nice guy

I live in Northern Maine and now that they know me and I respect them don't give them attitude they don't seem to bother me as much or when they do stop its just to chat and see how the fishing has been.  I always offer a drink and food but have never had any take up the offer

[icefisha22]

just don't break laws and you will have nothing to worry about.  However, if you step out of line even just a little, you probably will get bagged.  there is nothing wrong with that, its the laws.  Some wardens will try and test you by asking similar questions several times to see if you give the same response. Overall, with the 5 different wardens ive encountered, all but one has been a good guy. and actually, i have gotten a break or two.   

[Bout-Time]

Cant say Ive had many interactions with the game wardens. In fact, I can only recall seeing a warden out in the wild twice in many many moons.

[Shrinkage]

Shout out for tall Warden Josh. He "visited" my fishing expeditions 2x last year, once a bitter cold day on Worthley w 20 empty cans on the ice, fed him breakfast no issues. A month later in March I was with 6 buddies on Webb and he and a Warden Pilot buzzed over us then landed 100 yards from us, right next to my buddies trap, we had limited out by 8A and we had them all in a pile next to the cans. As the pilot (9mm side arm) and the co pilot walked towards us I had my nocs and lo and behold it was tall Jash. Checked our licenses cordial 15 minutes they flew out. Funny experience, our tax dollars at work.

[phil c]

I have seen the good and the bad in alot of LEOs I used to be Military Police and have been with a few other agencies as well. I agree with what has been said, most times everything is good everything is cordial and no one has any problem. Other times it is different, Non verbal cues people give off can put an officer on guard pretty quickly, And sometimes a LEO is just having a bad day.
Give em a break, Its a heck of a tough job with a lot of stress and very little thanks.
As far as myself having a bad experience it was from a Federal warden. Duck hunting on the Mississippi in a sleet storm we saw a warden in an open boat coming toward out blind. We opened up the hatches and unloaded He Identified himself and I offered him a cup of coffee his response? "are you trying to bribe me?" He went through our boat stem to stern, checked birds, shells, lifejackets, licences, ect. ect. didnt find anything wrong and just said good luck as he got back in his boat and left. We never did figure out what his deal was.
Behave yourself, smile and be polite, life is so much better.

[InertiaDriven07]

I have seen the good and the bad in alot of LEOs I used to be Military Police and have been with a few other agencies as well. I agree with what has been said, most times everything is good everything is cordial and no one has any problem. Other times it is different, Non verbal cues people give off can put an officer on guard pretty quickly, And sometimes a LEO is just having a bad day.
Give em a break, Its a heck of a tough job with a lot of stress and very little thanks.
As far as myself having a bad experience it was from a Federal warden. Duck hunting on the Mississippi in a sleet storm we saw a warden in an open boat coming toward out blind. We opened up the hatches and unloaded He Identified himself and I offered him a cup of coffee his response? "are you trying to bribe me?" He went through our boat stem to stern, checked birds, shells, lifejackets, licences, ect. ect. didnt find anything wrong and just said good luck as he got back in his boat and left. We never did figure out what his deal was.
Behave yourself, smile and be polite, life is so much better.

That's how the federal warden was that stopped us, but he went the extra mile and looked through every spent hull in the boat that we picked up as not to litter.   He called us liars to our faces because we had two girls who duck hunt with us and he said they didn't shoot their limits and we just brought them along to be able to shoot more.  Luckily, Dave Georgia, our local warden, was there for some reason and told him to give us some slack because he knows all of us, and told him that the girls could definately shoot their own limits. 

Moral of the story, respect your local wardens and they may be able to help you out in return

[brace]

I've had 8 interactions with warders during my 30+ years in the Maine woods - 2 x check points, 2 x icefishing, 1 x tagging fur, 1 x hunting, 1 x brook fishing and another instance where he wanted to buy my canoe.  With the exception of the canoe (doesn't really count), they conducted themselves as firm, but fair professionals.   One icefishing trip he stopped in just as I was finishing lunch, which he reluctantly participated in.   During one of the check points (I was 12 yrs old) I inadvertently kicked a boot of our van and didn't realize it was missing until we got home - I received it in the mail 5 days later.  Long story short, they have a job to do which they receive little in return.  Give them respect and let them do their job and all will be fine.  Yes, there are some bad apples - But give me a profession where this isn't also the case...

[IceMan100]

A great Point!  Women and children can fish and hunt,  the attitude that they "can't" really ticks me off and I'm being much kinder than I normally would say,...   I teach people to enjoy the sports.   Just don't prejudge people they of the future of all these out door sports... Imagine how the kids felt being accused of not being able to shoot a duck!  Imagine the Image that Game Warden set in their minds....  something that will be forever remembered.... I can remember as a child, a Warden in women's clothing, wig, dress the whole thing.... so years later... you don't forget.

I haven't had a run in with a "bad" cop, but then I haven't seen many of them to begin with.
The last one I ran into was checking licenses, and I realized that I had left mine at home.
Instead of giving me the 3rd degree, he gave me a citation and told me that if he didn't see a copy (faxed or mailed) of my license, then it would be a $50.00 fine. If he received the copy it would just be a warning.
He was stationed out of Westborough.
He was nice and polite and we had a civilized conversation which gave me some understanding as to what these officers have to deal with when it comes to poachers and a-holes. Heck, I bet we've all seen some of these clowns in our travels during the year.

If they come across as hardnosed and opinionated, it may be because they have encountered problem persons at that locale in the past.

I'd say give them the benefit of a doubt. If they come out with "guns blazing" from the start, just "yes sir" and "no sir"  them to death!

[Mainehazmt]

I can remember as a child, a Warden in women's clothing, wig, dress the whole thing.... so years later... you don't forget.

hmmm let me guess  you were dipping smelt!

[Scalloper]

hmmm let me guess  you were dipping smelt!

I think I herd about this joker a few years ago. Perhaps the warden was a cross dresser looking for a date? Another atempt to screw a sportsman 

[Mainehazmt]

musta been gee 15 yrs ago I believe     he is retired too lol

[Mainehazmt]

no it was way longer than that gee base has been closed almost that long   and a guy that was there (his brother was also a gamewarden)  who told me    Im betting on 20-25 yrs ago   

[MaineFishah]

Yeah, that would have been LONG ago. Have heard stories from my dad about him and my uncles swimming the thoroughfare with a 30 quart cooler full of smelts to elude the cross dressing warden. They used to sell them to the old man with the store right there. I'm sure those from the area can piece this all together. That would have been closer to 45 years ago as I think that warden has been retired for about 15 years now. My grandfather was a cousin to that warden and plowed snow at the base, but I think you and I have had that conversation before.

[Bear32]

"Behave yourself, smile and be polite, life is so much better."   That's some great advice right there!

[Mainehazmt]

Yeah, that would have been LONG ago. Have heard stories from my dad about him and my uncles swimming the thoroughfare with a 30 quart cooler full of smelts to elude the cross dressing warden. They used to sell them to the old man with the store right there. I'm sure those from the area can piece this all together. That would have been closer to 45 years ago as I think that warden has been retired for about 15 years now. My grandfather was a cousin to that warden and plowed snow at the base, but I think you and I have had that conversation before.

yep  all true   lol    yes we did!

[highlife09]

It was youth deer hunting day and I was bird hunting with a friend in the Allagash (several years ago).  We drove up a one road with a sign at the beginning saying "warden camp ahead, no hunting within next mile".  We drove past the camp and began looking for birds once we hit the mile mark.  A few moments later a pick-up was behind us with flashing lights.  We stopped and were suddenly confronted by a man in plain clothes who proceeded to go on a tirade about why we were there and "didn't you see the f-ing sign and what type of a person would drive past that sign"  We calmly explained that our interpretation of the sign was that it implied that hunting was legal after the mile mark and we didn't feel that a law was broken.  He continued to berate us but never acknowledged that we were in any violation.  Finally, he identifies himself as a warden and asks for our hunting licenses (remember, he's wearing no uniform, badge or name tag).  After he checks us out he calms down and sheepishly admits that he has a deer stand set up on that road and had planned to hunt it with his son that afternoon.  He then tried to make us feel guilty for unknowingly disrupting his hunt.  Prior to this and since, I've had many other pleasant encounters with the wardens but this was inexcusable behavior which borderlined harassment.  Apparently, there were many other complaints about this individual and he is no longer employed by the MWS.

[dreamcatcher310]

Don't break the law and be polite and you won't have any issues with LEO's. Besides, we often find that those that complain the most about them are the first to pick up the phone and call for help and want them respond as fast as possible. Just comes down to the golden rule that you should just treat others as you would wish to be treated. Tight lines boys! 

[WaynefromMaine]

   It's only ellegal if you get caught, your choose.

[Loves To Fish]

I've been hunting and fishing most of my life. I've had, too numerous to count, spot checks / encounters by wardens while hunting and fishing. The wardens have all been very courteous / professional to me and I've reciprocated by being respectful in return. In fact, I can count several violations of the law through the years that they graciously made known to me with just a friendly warning. One example last year, I forgot to grade my smelts on one particular stream. These smelts were all fairly big and I thought I could just remove them from my live well. He told me that all smelts have to be graded ( if you're a smelt wholesaler like me ) regardless of their obvious size. I thanked him and now I make sure to grade all my smelts on every outing. The point, I guess, is that they're just trying to do their job and if you show any concern for the resource, they figure you will probably share the same ethics with our future outdoorsmen.

[MG39]

I've been hunting and fishing most of my life. I've had, too numerous to count, spot checks / encounters by wardens while hunting and fishing. The wardens have all been very courteous / professional to me and I've reciprocated by being respectful in return. In fact, I can count several violations of the law through the years that they graciously made known to me with just a friendly warning. One example last year, I forgot to grade my smelts on one particular stream. These smelts were all fairly big and I thought I could just remove them from my live well. He told me that all smelts have to be graded ( if you're a smelt wholesaler like me ) regardless of their obvious size. I thanked him and now I make sure to grade all my smelts on every outing. The point, I guess, is that they're just trying to do their job and if you show any concern for the resource, they figure you will probably share the same ethics with our future outdoorsmen.

Dennis, it's "heart warming" to know you are still alive and kicking.

[Fishalot]

Dennis, it's "heart warming" to know you are still alive and kicking.

I was thinking the same thing . Who is this stranger?

[Loves To Fish]

I was thinking the same thing . Who is this stranger?

Well, if you must know, I sat down next to this tree and fell asleep. It was only a year and a half ago.
                                                                                                                                        Rip Van " Loves To Fish "
Happy holidays guys.