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Encounter with the Game Warden

10K views 42 replies 25 participants last post by  tyler0421 
#1 ·
1st time in 29 years I've encountered a game garden while hunting happened last week. My dad and I have about 2,000 acres in Alabama...about 10 miles southeast of Evergreen to be exact. Up in my climber I heard trucks riding our roads all afternoon. Saw only one doe so I got down early and was pissed thinking we had a poacher. Went to catch them and came upon the man (Game Warden).

1st Question: "Can I see your hunting licence." Promptly brought out my lifetime card.

2nd Question:"Where's your hunters orange." I WAS wearinga huntersorangebeannie(toobogan, whatever you call it), then switched to my AU hat when I got to the truckcause its been freakin' hot as hell...too hot to wear a beannie. Went over and showed him the orange and explained why I had taken it off. No problem there.

3rd question: "Show me your harvest record form"...and he sounded serious! Thats the new law in AL this year for those that don't know about it. Gladly I popped that out as well, I had one stashed in the truck, but I haven't been keeping it on at all times when hunting though.

4th Comment: "I have been checking your feeding troughs all afternoon, and they are all empty. But, it looks like there's been some corn in them lately...what's the deal." We have feeding troughs on all food plots, and we stopped putting corn in them 2 weeks before the season started. Theres still some husk and trash from the corn in there, but no corn. He understoodand then seemed pleased with everything. We talked a while, then he went on his way.

I just wanted to post this to remind everyone about what you need to keep with you while hunting. Trying to help out, keep someone from getting a ticket.Things you'll definitely get asked foras stated above: licence, orange, harvest form (if in AL), and keep your corn deep in the woods or not at all.

Actually I'm glad he was out there doing his job, enforcing the new law, and keeping the poachers off my land.Glad I had the encounter! Ya'll please be safe out there...WEAR YOUR SAFETY BELTS...and by all means have fun!
 
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#6 ·
Not completely sure about Ar, let alone about Bama, but game and fish in Ar is able to come onto any land. Private or public. In the case of gates, they cannot destroy them and pass through posted landwithout probable cause just like a policeman (example, is it illegal to drive down your driveway?).

The same state laws apply that apply to all land statewide. However WMA laws do not apply. Example: Without a DMAP program you cannot kill deer in certain areas. With a Deer Management assistance program, you can kill all deer that outnumber your lands ability to sustain the herd and sometimes the time of year does not matter niether does sex or antler restictions. Either way I am glad they are out there trying to catch folks that are not playing by the rules, as well as making sure the herd is strong and healthy. I had a very rare run in with Game and Fish just before the opening of modern gun. The officer heard shooting on the public land that I hunt. My best friend and I were sighting in his rifle (he has not hunted in many years). I was worried about the fact that it was pushing shooting hours, but then he reminded me that it is illegal to have a loaded magazine on a WMA prior to the opening of gun. FYI, the same law applies to having a loaded gun before legal shooting hours.He was very, very cool and said "I think somewhere in that book back there, there is arule about loaded magazine's on WMA's before the opening of the season" He was extremely cool and did his job exactly like I hope I would have done mine. So to that officer and all those just like him. Keep the balance between the obvious and the wrong.

BTW, good on you for this post. Most folks would have been put out.
 
#9 ·
i might be wrong but, i think if you are leasing the property from the paper company. you have to submit to random acts of harassment. just kidding, i love law enforcement and law enforcement loves me. i must look like an outlaw because every time i see a GW they give me a hard time. like running the serial numbers on my gun, go thru my all my belongings.

currently i have a problem with people trespassing on our property. hunting with rifles not even 300 yards from my house. the fwc will not do $h!t. first i did not have correct signage then i did't have my address and phone on the signs. they have been useless. now i call escambia county SD report a trespasser with a firearm, they even come with the lights on!
 
#11 ·
Actually, there was four of them out there that day. 2 trucks, 4 Game Wardens (GW). They said they were making their rounds in our part of the county and it was our time to get checked. When I came across the first GW, he started with all the questions, then 2 more drove up in a truck. Then, 1 GW came walking out of the woods like a ghost. He was being real sneaky. Guess he had been walking around all afternoon.

From what I understand, they have the authority to come on your land locked gate or not. We have 2,000 acres, 7 ways to get inside. Locked gates on all roads but 1. I guess they found that 1 road, got in and just started riding around checking every food plot they came across. I think they got in and couldn't figure out how to get back out...thats why I heard them riding the roads all afternoon. I was pissed with them riding the roads during prime hunting hours, but they were doing their job...what could I say.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the post and the information on having the AL harvest record on you...I have been keeping mine in the truck.

I don't mind the wardens coming on our land....we've had problems with trespassing, stealing, ect. and I welcome them. The first thing I did after getting the land was call the local game warden and introduce myself and told him we would be glad to see him coming around....he's a good guy doing his job and I'm glad he's out there. I've found if you make the first move with them and let them know you're following the rules and welcome being checked, they aren't as tough acting when you encounter them in the woods.

Haven't been asked for the harvest record yet and haven't really thought about it since I haven't taken a buck this year so thanks again for the heads up.
 
#13 ·
REELGOOD (12/14/2007)Thanks for the post and the information on having the AL harvest record on you...I have been keeping mine in the truck.

I don't mind the wardens coming on our land....we've had problems with trespassing, stealing, ect. and I welcome them. The first thing I did after getting the land was call the local game warden and introduce myself and told him we would be glad to see him coming around....he's a good guy doing his job and I'm glad he's out there. I've found if you make the first move with them and let them know you're following the rules and welcome being checked, they aren't as tough acting when you encounter them in the woods.

Haven't been asked for the harvest record yet and haven't really thought about it since I haven't taken a buck this year so thanks again for the heads up.
Yeah, I'm glad he (they) came out and checked us. We have nothing to hide on our land. I appraciate them doing their job, keeping poachers out, and enforcing the new law.

My only complaint was the timing of their visit and riding up and down our roads all afternoon during prime hunting hours. I told them to come back during daylight and I'll be glad to show them around, again we have nothing to hide.

As far as the harvest form, he was very stern about me keeping that with me while hunting, not stashed in the truck. He let me get away with having it folded up in the consol, but he wanted it on me. Not agreeing or dis agreeing, just telling anyone what the man said!

All in all they were nice (since they found no corn in my troughs). I welcome them back!
 
#14 ·
James Fink (12/14/2007)David, locked gate or not, they still have the authority to walk your land in Alabama. Like it or not, personally I like it. They spook game occasionally, but if they catch a poacher it is WELL worth any "inconvenience " you have.
Believe it or not James I don't have a problem with law enforcement and I am familiar with game laws.

We had a few times at Woody's place that either we were locked in or another party was locked out and Woody would have to drive down to the gate to open it. Woody has pretty good neighbors and when they see his gate open, they close it and lock it. It was kind of a private joke. Obviously not set up too good though.
 
#15 ·
I almost shot a GW sneaking around in the woods like that! My God, I think I would still be in jail as we speak for that! I was young!

He scared the ba-jesus out of me. I scared him too. He was shaking while he was talking to me. I think both of us learned something that day.

Didthe GWhave any orange on?
 
#16 ·
Halfmoon (12/14/2007)I almost shot a GW sneaking around in the woods like that! My God, I think I would still be in jail as we speak for that! I was young!

He scared the ba-jesus out of me. I scared him too. He was shaking while he was talking to me. I think both of us learned something that day.

Didthe GWhave any orange on?
Nope, No orange on the sneaky GW. I thought about that too. He is the one needing orange...sneaking around in the woods close to dark.
 
#21 ·
tyminer (12/14/2007)I've never huntedsoi am curious. Why cant you have corn in your plots?
in alabama you are not allowed to hunt over bait. you can feed thru-out the year, but you must stop 2 weeks prior to hunting the area. in florida we can hunt over bait, but it has to be an established feeding station (must be fed for 6 months prior).
 
#22 ·
I welcome GW's checking property. To many poachers and they are to hard to catch otherwise.

One interesting note, Florida GW's are not allowed to question you out of uniform (unless recently changed). They had an out of uniform officer try to arrest someone a few years back and he got shot. Don't know all the details, but if you don't have a uniform on in the woods where poachers and others are, and you tried to use force against me, I'm not for sure I would peacefully submit. And I think that's a legimate line of thinking.
 
#23 ·
David Ridenour (12/14/2007)
James Fink (12/14/2007)David, locked gate or not, they still have the authority to walk your land in Alabama. Like it or not, personally I like it. They spook game occasionally, but if they catch a poacher it is WELL worth any "inconvenience " you have.
Believe it or not James I don't have a problem with law enforcement and I am familiar with game laws.

We had a few times at Woody's place that either we were locked in or another party was locked out and Woody would have to drive down to the gate to open it. Woody has pretty good neighbors and when they see his gate open, they close it and lock it. It was kind of a private joke. Obviously not set up too good though.
I gotcha! I was thinking, "he didn't quite seem like that when I met him???":doh But, I gotcha now.
 
#25 ·
I know that it some what defeats the purpose of sneaking in on someone, but they should definitely wear orange. I almost raised my gun on a land manager biologist when I was a kid. He wandered off some other land onto ours and it spooked me to death. Didn't know who he was. Figured it out later by remembering the long antenna he was wearing.(2 way radio)



Just a warning for those of you hunting near Camden. The GWs are out there. Got checked last weekend for the first time in my 24 years of hunting. I actually met 2 that evening. One said that they usually don't come on your land unless they have a suspicion that you are illegal. They can come on your land at any time though.

He said they are very active in that area this year.
 
#26 ·
HeartofDixie (12/14/2007)Actually, there was four of them out there that day. 2 trucks, 4 Game Wardens (GW). They said they were making their rounds in our part of the county and it was our time to get checked. When I came across the first GW, he started with all the questions, then 2 more drove up in a truck. Then, 1 GW came walking out of the woods like a ghost. He was being real sneaky. Guess he had been walking around all afternoon.

From what I understand, they have the authority to come on your land locked gate or not. We have 2,000 acres, 7 ways to get inside. Locked gates on all roads but 1. I guess they found that 1 road, got in and just started riding around checking every food plot they came across. I think they got in and couldn't figure out how to get back out...thats why I heard them riding the roads all afternoon. I was pissed with them riding the roads during prime hunting hours, but they were doing their job...what could I say.




I am suprised there were that many GW's. We had a problem last year with our neighbors corning real bad, and when the game wardens busted them, they also check us for liscense, orange ect and stated they were the only two that worked 3 counties. Monroe, Wilcox, and I think Conecha (parden the spelling on that one). But I am glad to see them doing their job and working hard
 
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