# Game Warden



## king killer delete (May 22, 2011)

How often do you get checked. Do you think they are fair. Do we as waterfowl hunters get looked at more than other type  hunters. What do you think?


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## killerv (May 22, 2011)

waterfowlers are easier to find, wardens know where the swamps, ponds, and lakes are. They know where the shots they hear are mostly coming from.


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## king killer delete (May 22, 2011)

*You are correct*



killerv said:


> waterfowlers are easier to find, wardens know where the swamps, ponds, and lakes are. They know where the shots they hear are mostly coming from.


 how many times have you been checked? I think i get it about 5 times a year.


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## Wishin I was Fishin (May 22, 2011)

I agree it is 100x easier to find a group of waterfowlers as opposed to deer or turkey hunters. I've never been checked in the few years i've been waterfowling but the GW in our area covers an insane range.


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## webfootwidowmaker (May 22, 2011)

i got checked three times last year.. if you go to the law enforcement link on Ga dnr website you can check and see all the waterfowlers that got caught.. there is alotof them


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## Nicodemus (May 22, 2011)

Three times, in 51 years. That includes all huntin` and fishin`, of all kinds.


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## Scott R (May 22, 2011)

Been checked 2 times in 19 years.....and 1 of those was in Louisiana.  All I hunt is public water.

I don't think they check nearly enough from the crap I see going on every season.


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## rockwalker (May 22, 2011)

I got checked season 4 times this past, but we hunt some high traffic public ground


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## coon hunter (May 22, 2011)

Hate to say it for the bad karma i may get but i have never been checked by the man at any type of hunting. Seems like he has bigger fish to fry than us at the farm pond shooting at a few woodies.


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## Woods Savvy (May 22, 2011)

killer elite said:


> How often do you get checked. Do you think they are fare. Do we as waterfowl hunters get looked at more than other type  hunters. What do you think?



I have been checked over a dozen times in the past couple of years in arkansa and only once in ga.


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## Parker (May 22, 2011)

webfootwidowmaker said:


> i got checked three times last year.. if you go to the law enforcement link on Ga dnr website you can check and see all the waterfowlers that got caught.. there is alotof them



  And I think that means waterfowlers should be checked then, doesn't it?

I expect to get checked every time I go out hunting or fishing.  That way, I'm always on my best behavior.  

Parker


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## emusmacker (May 22, 2011)

2 times last season, and yes I think they are fair. They have been scaled back to cover more areas, it is almost impossible to catch all the crooks.


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## MudDucker (May 23, 2011)

Been checked maybe 9 or 10 times in 50 years.  Never been given a citation.

As for "fare", I've never eaten one, so I don't know if they are "fare" or not.


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## king killer delete (May 23, 2011)

*I know I am no speller.*



MudDucker said:


> Been checked maybe 9 or 10 times in 50 years.  Never been given a citation.
> 
> As for "fare", I've never eaten one, so I don't know if they are "fare" or not.


 If you wana eat one let me know.


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## Rich M (May 23, 2011)

I get checked 2 or 3 times each season.  We're friendly with the federal LEOs since they are always around, it is good to know them and have their contact info.  

Last year some guy went into the hunting area early (law says 4 am where we hunt) and then proceeded to shoot at every duck he saw - we saw him but didn't know what was up - came out and there were the feds & state LEOs checking EVERYTHING.  The guy got a trespassing ticket and a ticket for an illegal duck ($250 for a duck!) - all for not knowing the laws....plus the LEO went easy, giving the guy the benefit of the doubt.

I do think they target duck hunters more - we have more regulations and it is easier to be in violation.


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## USMC0844 (May 23, 2011)

I've been checked all of 4 times since I was sixteen (25 now) while hunting and fishing. Each time I was checked, I was very pleasant and had all my necessary paperwork. It's easier to have a friendly conversation when you and them know that you are doing the right thing. They can tell you some good spots too.


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## dadsbuckshot (May 23, 2011)

I have been checked 2 times in 12 years. Once while trout fishing a local watershed and the other was while on my first gator hunt here in Georgia. Both times the Rangers were very polite and professional - they did their job well and I was really happy to know they were out in the area.


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## Flaustin1 (May 23, 2011)

7 times in the last 10 yrs of duck hunting.  All the wardens were fair although one kinda hassled me about some blood in the back of my truck from a deer i had killed a couple days earlier.


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## Larry Young Jr (May 23, 2011)

I get checked more turkey hunting and deer hunting over the years than duck hunting. now with that said; I dont have a problem with them checking me. Show them little respect and there will be no problem. They are doing thier job. I have messed up over the years and they were more than fair with me. You know that 5 day break when it first started. Yes I was one of the dummys that miss that part of the regs. They could of made it ruff on me and my hunting partner. They could of fry us ,but they didnt. We had not seen a bird so we were talking about the regs and reading different parts  of it when they came up. It still cost us $250 but it could have cost us 1500 or more. I havent done that again. If you mess up or brake they law, dont get mad at them. 
Good Luck and besafe
Larry


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## Jaker (May 23, 2011)

I've never been checked in georgia except on quota hunts, I've been checked a couple of times in alabama in heavy traffic areas. In arkansas i routinely get checked atleast once for every week i spend out there.


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## Killin Time (May 23, 2011)

the federal gws out west are the ones to watch out for around here you dont have to worry about them much unless you are one of the yahoos trying to kill two ducks on a middle ga lake


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## obadiah (May 24, 2011)

Never been checked and about 90% of my hunting is on public land.


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## florida boy (May 24, 2011)

Come to Fl and hunt public waters.....might as well keep your license in your front shirt pocket !


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## king killer delete (May 24, 2011)

obadiah said:


> Never been checked and about 90% of my hunting is on public land.


Lucky!


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## nickf11 (May 25, 2011)

I'll never forget the time my dad and I got pulled over by the Alabama DNR out on Guntersville several years ago. It was 4am and snowing and they were out there. He pulled us over and said our front running light on the boat was out. Well it turns out, when you flick the switch one way, only the back light comes on, switch it the other way, they both go on. We flicked it the wrong way and had decoy bags on the front of the boat so we didnt realize the front light wasn't glowing. He wrote us a ticket that costed $92.00. For a light 

I think total, I've been checked 4 times and I also hunt a lot of public land.


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## HALOJmpr (May 25, 2011)

florida boy said:


> Come to Fl and hunt public waters.....might as well keep your license in your front shirt pocket !



I've only hunted Miccosukee 5 times ... been checked 4


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## king killer delete (May 25, 2011)

*plug*

I had a young one ask me where the plug was in my over and under shot gun one time.


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## Larry Young Jr (May 26, 2011)

killer elite said:


> I had a young one ask me where the plug was in my over and under shot gun one time.



That only proves that they are dump , just like us. I have had some younger ones try to find something wrong. But older age does have a plus. We know the laws better than them. If your nice and you help them with their job, they will remember you. Today Waren's job is harder than most police jobs. No Back up, no parterns, and most of time they out in the middle of no where. They have to go on the defense has they get out of the truck.  So remember that the next time 1 comes up to check you. Respect goes both ways.  Most of them are hunters too.
Good Luck and be safe
Larry


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## king killer delete (May 26, 2011)

*here here*



Larry Young Jr said:


> That only proves that they are dump , just like us. I have had some younger ones try to find something wrong. But older age does have a plus. We know the laws better than them. If your nice and you help them with their job, they will remember you. Today Waren's job is harder than most police jobs. No Back up, no parterns, and most of time they out in the middle of no where. They have to go on the defense has they get out of the truck.  So remember that the next time 1 comes up to check you. Respect goes both ways.  Most of them are hunters too.
> Good Luck and be safe
> Larry


 This is a true statement. I like to see them come and check me cause I know I am not going to do any wrong. Good Post .


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## Core Lokt (May 26, 2011)

florida boy said:


> Come to Fl and hunt public waters.....might as well keep your license in your front shirt pocket !



Really, all I hunt is a public Fl lake and I may get checked 1-2 times a yr. 




HALOJmpr said:


> I've only hunted Miccosukee 5 times ... been checked 4



that's because of your look 


We had a local warden a few yrs ago that would check your license every time he saw you, even if it was day after day. That was a little aggrivating but he got fired/quit for doing things he shouldn't have been doing.


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## huntmore (May 26, 2011)

I got checked 4 times in one day by the same game warden deer hunting


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## emusmacker (May 26, 2011)

Killin Time said:


> the federal gws out west are the ones to watch out for around here you dont have to worry about them much unless you are one of the yahoos trying to kill two ducks on a middle ga lake



What if I kill 6 ducks on a middle Ga lake. Does that make me a yahoo?


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## vrooom (May 27, 2011)

I usually get checked about 3 times a year.


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## duckmaster14 (May 28, 2011)

been duck hunting all my life with my family and later on my own/with friends when I got older. I've only been checked one year out of all of them and I got checked 7 times in 10 days on the Ogeechee river near Statesboro. 

On the last day of the season he FINALLY found something wrong. I had a 20ga lead shot (I was using a 12ga btw) in the bottom of a duffle bag that I used to carry with me on hunts and at the time just stayed in the boat with extra jackets and flashlights in it.

$185 later the duffle bag was thrown away. That's the only GW who has ever checked me and he was determined to get me for something.


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## emusmacker (May 28, 2011)

You know what they say, persistence pays off.


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## Hunter22 (May 30, 2011)

I luckily have never been checked by the warden around our area in the 8 years I have been hunting here.

On the other hand duck season before last in North Ms I got checked in Ms and forgot to purchase my state stamp  and I had shot 3 teal already. He was nice and let me go with a ticket for not having my stamp because I was honest and told him I shot the ducks. the ticket was $200 and I got one over the phone while he was standing there and then we talked for about 15 minutes then he went on.


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## noggin knocker (May 31, 2011)

My son and I have been only 2 times duck hunting and both times we were check just a little after sunrise. We didn't hunt ducks any more last year. The drive is to long to be wasted by the Warden. He knew we had everything from the first visit and knew our truck and could tell from several hundred yards that we were the only ones there.


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## 27metalman (Jun 1, 2011)

We only got checked one time last season.  The warden admitted that we were not the group he was looking for!    The only thing I didn't like was that he took my stamp and pealed it off the label and affixed it to my license.  I told him that no regulation states that it has to be affixed to the license, that it just has to be signed and be on your person.  His response was that the federal boys like em' like that.  I always keep my stamps and have them displayed in a gun cabinet.  Now, I've got to trim this one up and glue it back in place.  He was nice, but I didn't appreciate reason at all.


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## florida boy (Jun 2, 2011)

Core Lokt said:


> Really, all I hunt is a public Fl lake and I may get checked 1-2 times a yr.
> 
> 
> Thats because he is always checking me ! lol


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## dtala (Jun 2, 2011)

I GW's for 26 years in Al and checked a lot of duck hunters in that time. I'd guess that we ticketed more duck hunters per hunter checked than any other type of hunter.

Part of that is from catching late wood duck roost shooters where we'd have unplugged guns, lead shot, no license, no stamps, over limit, etc. example: five shooters and fifteen tickets.

"Normal" duck hunters not as likely to violate but they were prolly right near the top in tickets per hunter checked. The number of things needed, ie license, stamp, stamp signed, limits, illegal ducks, plugs, steel shot, permits, boating violations, made it easier for someone to violate for whatever reason.

A LOT of duck hunters were always completely legal and I made it a point to NOT check them on a regular basis. Late wood duck shooters were ALWAYS targeted....and hard to catch the first time ya heard em shoot because ya had to figure out where exactly they were and how to get there. Repeat offenders were  easy to catch.

I personally wouldn't of written a ticket for possession of a 20 ga lead shell by a 12 shooter....and stamps don't have to be attached, just signed. If unsigned I usually just made em sign them in my sight. Also never wrote a light ticket if they could get them working while I was there....

   troy


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## georgia_home (Jun 2, 2011)

IMHO, the more public the land you hunt is, the more likely you are to be checked.

Before moving to GA I hunted a good bit of public land. We got checked for waterfowl and deer pretty regular like. Usually the gw's, mostly Feds but some state, waited until we were done (field hunting), checking as you walked off the field/path. Occasionally they would try to ambush you in blind/stand.

The worst part, in deer season, would be the ambush. A few of the Feds would sneak WITHOUT ORANGE!!! the way some public land deer hunters are, man that could be dangerous.

Been checked about 3 times in deer season, 4 times in waterfowl, on public land. Never found illegal.

Only checked 1 time on private land, and it was dove season. 10 agents staked out the dove field, about 20 hunters checked, ZERO citations issued!

Never checked in ga. Started hunting deer on wma, now on private land. I think I have only seen 1 gw while hunting ga. Guess I am lucky.


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## Twenty five ought six (Jun 2, 2011)

I used to hunt religiously on Oconee, Clarke's Hill and Russell.  On the average, I got checked every other time.  Never bothered me, except once.  Usually would invite the GW for coffee and breakfast --only had one take me up on it.

The one time the GW  blew it, he blew through my deke spread of geese on Clarkes Hill -- there's only 79.000 acres to park a boat.  Wrote a letter, got that addressed.

OTOH, one time I got in a hurry, left the house with no wallet --which meant no license, stamp, etc.  We were hunting on private property where the landowner would have taken care of any violations.  Any way, the GW told me to fax him a copy of the paperwork, which I did, and that was all I heard of it.

I don't know that GW target duck hunters, but I appreciate the jog that they do.  My personal opinion is that because of the significantly smaller numbers of hunter -- by a factor of at least 10 -- there are probably a higher percentage of violators among waterfowl hunters.


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## king killer delete (Jun 2, 2011)

Twenty five ought six said:


> I used to hunt religiously on Oconee, Clarke's Hill and Russell.  On the average, I got checked every other time.  Never bothered me, except once.  Usually would invite the GW for coffee and breakfast --only had one take me up on it.
> 
> The one time the GW  blew it, he blew through my deke spread of geese on Clarkes Hill -- there's only 79.000 acres to park a boat.  Wrote a letter, got that addressed.
> 
> ...


This is dead on. I have had problems with them on Clark Hill my self. ( Fishing Creek)


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## Larry Young Jr (Jun 2, 2011)

Twenty five ought six said:


> -- there are probably a higher percentage of violators among waterfowl hunters.



You hit the nail on the head. GWs that I know they catch 2X the people baiting  waterfowl than turkey and deer hunters togather.  But Like I have said before you have hunters and then you have killers. 

Most of the GWs will try not to give you a ticket if they can or least give you a break if they can. 

I cant get over all the repet defeners. they have.  But I guess it is like the other laws that are broken in this country.   
Good Luck and besafe
Larry


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## Boudreaux (Jun 4, 2011)

killer elite said:


> How often do you get checked.



Been checked about 3 times in 25+ years of duck hunting.




killer elite said:


> Do you think they are fair.



Yes.  Was always within the law, and they never gave me at ticket.  Checked my birds and shells, and talked with me just like any other hunter.  The one exception was the federal game warden on the bayou in LA.  He didn't wait for us to stop hunting but instead pulled his boat right up through our decoys to check us while the ducks were still flying and we were trying to finish out our limit.  He was a jerk for doing that, but he thought we had limited out and were shooting over limit.




killer elite said:


> Do we as waterfowl hunters get looked at more than other type  hunters.


No. Been checked as many times fishing and deer hunting as I have been duck hunting.


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## Sling (Jun 4, 2011)

In my 25+ years of duck huting I have been checked approximately10 times. Never bothered me to get checked, just worried sometimes that I may have forgotten something, i.e hip, sign stamp, etc., because like dtala said - there so much to keep up with. But always came out ok, never received a warning or ticket. Because I hunted the same areas over time I got to know the GW and they knew I was going to have everything I was suppposed to.


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## chet1725 (Jun 24, 2011)

I got stopped on Guntersville 3 years ago by the po-po. My tag on my boat had been expired for 13 months and I didn't know it until they pointed it out to me. I couldn't believe I had been driving my boat around for over a year without being stopped. If I remember correctly the fine was $150. They lowered it because I renewed the tag and sent in a copy of the new one before the court date. The police were friendly and asked what kind of ducks that were laying in the floor of the boat.


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## Silver Bullet (Jun 24, 2011)

I hope that they can make it out down here a little more this year...
I wouldn't care if I got checked every time out.  I have nothing to hide.  It's almost come to a point where I have to check the spot I plan on hunting the night before just to make sure that no one has left any yellow acorns.  Wally world runs out of steel the second week of season, but guys keep hunting.  I know that they aren't all making the trip to BPS to pick up more steel.  I see plenty of low brass lead casings to prove it.  There are more after hours roost shoots down here than I ever saw hunting MI, NE, Ontario and OH combined.  I'm sick of it.  My man parts aren't so small that I have to shoot 30 wood ducks to prove myself.  Nor do I have to run down the channel with a shooter on the front deck of the boat to kill a few more birds.  Maybe now that deer baiting is legal, it will free some of them up to run the rivers.


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## SeagoingCowboy (Jun 30, 2011)

Game wardens are spread thin and cover a big area.  I've been checked only once in my life, and he came out of nowhere.  I think waterfowlers have a little better reputation for compliance than other types of hunting, and so the game wardens spend less of their limited time checking waterfowlers.  They've got bigger fish to fry, with all the fire hunting and trespassing going on.


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