TobyScreams
Twelve Pointer
Never been checked in NC while deer or turkey hunting. Now that airplane landed me a ticket once in a dove field. Note: if they ain’t your cripples leave em in the field to waste.
How many of you were checked by a Wildlife Officer this season?
- Thread starter Downeast
- Start date
QBD2
Old Mossy Horns
Got stopped coming out of the swan field this year. Been checked several times on the boat.
TH80
Ten Pointer
Last time I was checked was maybe 4 years ago and that was while I was fishing and had one watch me fishing last year but never came to check me. I can only remember being checked twice duck hunting and the first time the GW pulled off the path and that’s where he was still sitting waiting for someone to come pull his truck out the mud when we left. Over the years I can’t even take a guess at how many times I’ve been checked deer hunting but it’s been several years.
Quite Often, My son's one 
Mack in N.C.
Old Mossy Horns
None that I recall which is a shame.
40 , 30 and 20 years ago if I was fishing a dam I got checked.
Now, I never see a warden checking these spillways , well except Jordan.
40 , 30 and 20 years ago if I was fishing a dam I got checked.
Now, I never see a warden checking these spillways , well except Jordan.
Good cop, bad cop experience @ the pier on North Topsail Beach. Two Dept. of Marine Fisheries Officers asked to check our coolers. One was dead pan serious & the other had a pleasant personality. We were legal of course & then "Wyatt Earp" asked to check my tiny lunch pail, which @ most could have held a soft drink & sandwich. This guy took his job way too serious.
Downeast
Twelve Pointer
I haven't been checked in 25 years, and that was on public land opening day of dove season. I've duck hunted public waters both on the coast and on inland Game Lands. Twenty five years and not one badge. I'm not saying being checked, I haven't seen a warden!
cloningerba
Old Mossy Horns
Mi "nunca me revisan"
Duckmauler dhc
Old Mossy Horns
Been checked 5 times this year while fishing. Twice in January, once in February and twice in March. Haven’t hit the jack pot in April yet but there is still time. I don’t think I could honestly count the number of times I’ve been checked over the last 20 years or so both hunting and fishing. I’d prefer to never ever have another encounter with a gw again. Having a little boy in the boat has made them mind their manners a little more over the past 3 years though.
turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
I get checked way more fishing than hunting. Got checked once last year hunting in Pisgah very nice fella . Get checked yearly trout fishing twice last year. The areas I fish depend on frequency if I'm in state parks get checked several times a year if not I can go probably couple years in between.
Probably been 5-6 years since I was checked deer hunting. That was on public land.
Twice this year - once in Georgia while scouting (he didn’t believe we weren’t hunting) and we were detained for a good bit while he searched for evidence of our “crimes” - In fairness, we were 1.5 miles back from the road at the water at first light on private, wearing waders, and with a black lab in tow. No decoys, guns or shells though. Took a while to convince him we got up at 3am, and drove 3.5 hrs just to scout in opening day. Eventually he bought our story.
Also got checked duck hunting when we got back to the ramp.
Also got checked duck hunting when we got back to the ramp.
mdd71
Button Buck
Never in 30 years of hunting public. Virtually every time I fish Falls Lake.
“J”
Twelve Pointer
Do any sheriffs departments have a watercraft division?
Not this year, but in previous years, DNR, Sheriff’s dep, Coast Guard…. Lake Erie it’s not uncommon to be checked by CG and DNR in the same day. Of course they looking for different infractions for the most part.
DNR in the past, multiple times. All have been great interactions except for one. But karma got him…..
Not this year, but in previous years, DNR, Sheriff’s dep, Coast Guard…. Lake Erie it’s not uncommon to be checked by CG and DNR in the same day. Of course they looking for different infractions for the most part.
DNR in the past, multiple times. All have been great interactions except for one. But karma got him…..
JONOV
Old Mossy Horns
Probably selection bias. If I’m a game warden I can document a lot more activities and interactions on public water with boaters. About the only time I get nervous about seeing a game warden is in a boat.
Check a guy fly fishing and basically you’re making sure he has a license, and didn’t keep more than a limit.
Check a boat full of duck hunters, you have licenses, stamps, steel shot, limits, PFD’s, the fire extinguisher, the boats registration, etc.
JONOV
Old Mossy Horns
You duck hunt on falls?
Duckmauler dhc
Old Mossy Horns
Also have to be nervous about them actually being able to identify the right species. I was detained for over an hour one time over a freaking hen mallard that the game warden couldn't identify. He had to wait for someone else to come and verify that I was right and that he was a freaking idiot.
shotgunner
Twelve Pointer
Checked once this duck season at the ramp. Checked 2 or 3 times this summer fishing in the around the sound. Before that I can't remember the last time I was checked. I know I lived in more county 11 years and was on Tillery, Jordan, Baden and Blewett Falls quite a bit and was never checked. Only encounter I had was when one was parked at Swift Island Access in his truck and I went over to ask a question.
ellwoodjake
Old Mossy Horns
It's been my experience, in situations like this: they never really "buy your story" but instead they decide that; you're sticking to your story, and you've hidden the evidence well enough, that they're not willing to put forth the effort to look any further.
Couple years back, I had one check me at my truck, after looking for deer sign and he was convinced I was 'seng digging. It didn't help that I was carrying my steel-point digging stick, nor when I inverted my pockets, and dirt fell out. After coming up empty, he called for backup with k9 to search further. Finally I overheard the other officer tell him, "we'll get him when he comes back for it." Glad I didn't have to go back. Every time I ran into the officer after that, he always remembered, "You're that guy who slipshucked me!"
odie408
Twelve Pointer
Only been checked a few times the last few years. When I duck hunted Years past it was daily, sometimes three times in a morning.
About 50 year ago I saw dove flying good on our farm and made a few phone calls and put a crowd together to hunt the afternoon. On the way in I stopped by my buddy's and invited him and his brother. They said they hadn't got their license yet. I told them to come on and get their license tomorrow. We got there and spread out and started shooting. I had driven the back of the first of 4 25 acre cuts of picked corn and my unlicensed buddies went to the last. I shot my first bird and walked away from the truck to retrieve. I looked down the other end and saw that green furyIII driving up. I knew my buddies had noway out. Soo, I decided to guickly drive about 3 miles away and check another field. When Mr greenjeans see me leaving here he come in hot pursuit. The powdered dust was about 6" deep so he couldn't catch me till I stopped. When he caught up he checked my gun and license and game bag and found nothing wrong. He said you were good why did you run. I said I wanted to see how they were flying here and wasn't sure if the others were legal. My buddies went and got their license.
About 50 year ago I saw dove flying good on our farm and made a few phone calls and put a crowd together to hunt the afternoon. On the way in I stopped by my buddy's and invited him and his brother. They said they hadn't got their license yet. I told them to come on and get their license tomorrow. We got there and spread out and started shooting. I had driven the back of the first of 4 25 acre cuts of picked corn and my unlicensed buddies went to the last. I shot my first bird and walked away from the truck to retrieve. I looked down the other end and saw that green furyIII driving up. I knew my buddies had noway out. Soo, I decided to guickly drive about 3 miles away and check another field. When Mr greenjeans see me leaving here he come in hot pursuit. The powdered dust was about 6" deep so he couldn't catch me till I stopped. When he caught up he checked my gun and license and game bag and found nothing wrong. He said you were good why did you run. I said I wanted to see how they were flying here and wasn't sure if the others were legal. My buddies went and got their license.
Nah, I had a text message from days earlier I remembered that basically detailed to the current leaseholder exactly our intentions and plans - down to the 3am departure from NC - hard to argue that, especially with no actual hunting equipment other than waders.It's been my experience, in situations like this: they never really "buy your story" but instead they decide that; you're sticking to your story, and you've hidden the evidence well enough, that they're not willing to put forth the effort to look any further.
It seems that GW's believe everyone is guilty of something, and if they probe enough, you'll eventually slip up and let on to what that violation is.
They also seem to run short on humility. I got multiple reminders of that this weekend.
They also seem to run short on humility. I got multiple reminders of that this weekend.
I’ve never had what I’d consider a negative interaction with them - others obviously may have different experiences
I've never had a bad interaction with a Game Warden. I will say the rudest group I've ever encountered are the deputies that run the metal detectors at county court houses. Ive been numerous times over the years for either deeds, marriage license, property records, rental evictions etc and it doesn't seem to matter what county, those guys have their a$$ on their shoulders. I understand they often see and deal with the bottom of society but they had to know that when they signed up.
TH80
Ten Pointer
Most of my interactions have been good and even had one that would check me once a year at the beginning of deer season for my license and every time after that if he saw me he would stop and talk a while but I’ve had a few negative interactions. I’ve seen more than one new, young, cocky, mouthy GW.
Once about 30 years ago quail hunting with my FIL. Once about 10 years ago clearing some deer lanes with a weed eater before season. GW rode up out of nowhere and said he had heard a gun shot and wanted to be sure we were not hunting out of season. I asked him if weed eating had a season.
coachcornbread
Ten Pointer
Got checked twice this year duck hunting, once at the coast and once on my home lake. Guys at the coast done us a solid after they done their usual checks of guns, license and birds. We asked them if they seen any birds on the open water and sure enough they pointed us in the right direction for a couple of good hunts the next couple of days. Home lake guys were a different story. They waited till we got the boat loaded and everything put up before they decided to check us, like we were literally getting in the truck to leave. They done the usual license, gun and bird check, then decided they needed to do a safety check on the boat so I had to drag out cushions, life jackets fire extenguisher yada yada yada. As they started to walk away I told them they werent done yet and I proceeded to show them my signaling devices and how they worked.
DRS
Old Mossy Horns
Dang! No more than some of y'all get checked I really do feel like I'm being harassed. Only had one find me while I was fishing on the Tar River.
specialk
Twelve Pointer
back in the 80s you could shine secondary roads in granville co. without a gun in the vehicle, we would get check 4-5 times a night by the same wardens....got checked once in april running rabbit hounds right in front of my mailbox....once turkey hunting on private land....but thats it....
Haven’t been checked since I sold my dogs and quit dog hunting. So it’s been 15 years or so. Used to see the plane while at the Northern Dismal and you knew they would be there shortly. One Thanksgiving got pulled over by one on the way to lunch (had deer on dog box).