I have never run into one in my 38 years of hunting. A guy in my gun club had a run in with one this fall. He dragged his deer out without putting a tag on it first. I think he got fined.
I have had three run in's with them with two of them being no problem at all. The third was back in highschool, fishing with some younger guys in an area where there are hook restrictions for salmon. A kid I was with had just bought his fishing license for the first time and was excited about it. He had a bass rod with a large offset hook, but I had legal hooks and offered them to him which he accepted and was waiting until we walked down to the creek to tie on. On our 150 yard walk down to the creek a CO stops us, checks our license and notices the larger hook on the kids pole. Wrote him a ticket on the fact that he "intended" on using it. The kid was respectful and cool through out the entire ticket writing and belittling from the CO. Until he was handed his ticket. As we were walking away, he turns around and lets the officer know that "fishing is too expensive, I guess it would be better if I was out selling drugs."
I've only had one interaction with a CO (during hunting season) in nearly 45 years of hunting-this happened in the early 90's. I was on private property and had just parked my truck when he pulled up behind me and asked to see my hunting license. I told him that I wasn't hunting. He told me yes I was because he saw my blaze orange jacket on my truck seat. The owner of the property came out of his shop just about then and told me to not say another word. He and the CO went at it for about 5 minutes before the CO left-having never seen my hunting license. All the other times, it has been while fishing. My son and the son of one of the local CO's played baseball against and with each other for many years. Became friends with the CO and even took him out fishing once he became a supervisor. He did have some of his CO's "harass" me on occasion. They'd pull along side when we were trolling just to tell me that the boss was jealous of me being out fishing. LOL
In all the decades Ive been hunting, never have I ran into a DEC officer here in NY. Long Island or upstate NY !!
I once burned up a pile of what looking like high quality pot plants with a drip torch while 2 CO's watched.
After probably a dozen encounters with them in 4 states they have all been really good to deal with and nothing but respectful.
I've talked to the 2 game wardens of my county here in Oklahoma and 1 was a really nice guy but unfortunately the other was a real jerk, so I don't bother talking to that one anymore. Sometimes you do get those bad apples that just aren't nice. I've talking to plenty of guys in law enforcement and haven't had any bad experiences with them other than with the 1 game warden.
Been hunting 30 plus years, never really had any issues with them here in Tennessee. We dont have enough wardens to deal with all the poaching. I'm sure it's like anything else, good ones and bad ones. Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Most are super nice guys, just doing their job. Disclaimer, we work for the same Department, they’re our law enforcement. We do have one that can be a little over the top. He’s a former deputy sheriff with a chip on his shoulder. Had a couple enforcement run ins with him over the years. Told him, I don’t do your job, don’t try to do mine. The Master Sergeant in S Illinois is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Just obey the law.
They're nice guys around here. If your respectful to them they will be as well. I did see a guy get an attitude with one this past year at a dove field and he got a lecture and a ticket in return, but he totally had it coming.
All of the ones I have had interactions with have been professional. I see them all of the time in town, but rarely in the field,
I was fishing with a friend from Atlanta who has had a Tennessee NR license for at least 5 years. I discovered that the officer was new and doing his job as he saw the GA license plate. My friend got frustrated as he couldn't find his license in his wallet! He gave the officer his driver's license and the officer found his record the same time my friend found his license. I have been a hunter education instructor for 19 years and have only had contact with one who was rude; this was not in the field. I have an officer do a one hour presentation in my classes about the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Everyone has been very professional, courteous, answered questions and even stay to talk with students during the breaks. I have seen an officer in plain dress checking licenses on a stretch of trout water.
Here the wardens are Alaska State Wildlife Troopers / State police....never had a problem with any of them ever...the contact I have had...they've been extremely courteous. No issues in Alaska
