My guess is the GW has a different story...

Funny cuz iv met ALOT of these a-holes.... all which have been nice fellas doing their job. Come off the high horse and stop trying to put out a fire with gas.

I just re-read the original post. Did they get checked as they were returning from hunting or before they left the boat ramp?

Depending on which it is:

1) If it was before they hunted, and the GW broke the stick plug, the guy wasn't hunting, so how is that a violation if he hadn't taken a shot yet?

2) If it was after they hunted and everything was legal, then the GW forcibly broke the stick plug, it seems clear that the hunter was legal until the GW made his gun illegal. How is this different from the GW disassembling the gun, removing the plug and writing a ticket? Or my other example, a cop braking your taillight and writing you a ticket for a broken taillight?

What if the taillight was being held on by duct tape?

My example involves a functioning taillight. As far as we know, the "stick plug" functioned properly.

A taillight can function with duct tape holding it in place... might not be stock but hey its working so who needs the right mounts... not like it could just break at any time

I agree with you, but we are talking about a shotgun plug, so let's stay with that. As far as we know, the plug did its job until the GW broke it by forcing his ruler in there, after he had already measured it once and it was found to be legal.

To me, the bottom line is, as far as we know, he had a plug, it measured correctly the first time, it falls within the rules and the GW broke it. It seems to me to be similar to the GW disassembling the gun and removing the plug and then writing a ticket.

Based on what we know, I'm on the hunter's side here. That may change if there is more information provided.

Edit: and I'm not anti-GW. I'm basing my opinion on what information was provided. I doubt we will hear the other side of the story, but I'm not anti-GW.

To specifically answer your questions...questionable yes, legal yes. If I had the time I would try and see/talk to a judge about it first though. Depending on how that conversation went would depend on how hard I would fight. Word of advice to your buddy...don't use the tail light example

A taillight can function with duct tape holding it in place... might not be stock but hey its working so who needs the right mounts... not like it could just break at any time

I agree with you, but we are talking about a shotgun plug, so let's stay with that. As far as we know, the plug did its job until the GW broke it by forcing his ruler in there, after he had already measured it once and it was found to be legal.

To me, the bottom line is, as far as we know, he had a plug, it measured correctly the first time, it falls within the rules and the GW broke it. It seems to me to be similar to the GW disassembling the gun and removing the plug and then writing a ticket.

Based on what we know, I'm on the hunter's side here. That may change if there is more information provided.

Edit: and I'm not anti-GW. I'm basing my opinion on what information was provided. I doubt we will hear the other side of the story, but I'm not anti-GW.

It is funny we run across more and more of these conversations as the years trickle on by. I was once a "Ahaaa, I got you kind of cop". That was long ago before I read and understood the Constitution and all of the amendments. I began to question the direction of law enforcement and where the country is headed overall. Officers are released onto the public with "ZERO" knowledge of the Constitution. I was required to attend two day coverage of the Constitution in the academy. I was sick both days. I was released onto the public with ZERO training on the Constitution. First off two days is rediculous, but no training at all simply blows my freaking mind. Once I studied it, my career changed forever. We are not supposed to "Ahaaaaaa I got you". We should represent ourselves in a professional manner, AT ALL TIMES. Writing citations like that (IF it happened that way) should be shunned. Again if that story is acurate, I would just as soon cut off my own finger than to write a man a citation for that type of chicken $^!^ citation. I would not be able to feel right about myself.

I know there are some good game wardens just like there are good street cops. We as a nation need to pay very close attention to what happens in the very near future. We cannot let go of the original ideas of "WE the people". The police work for you and need to be held accountable for their actions. It is just like the Sheriff's Department at Calhoun County doing nothing with the my case. NOTHING!!! They are lazy filthy examples of law enforcement. They should have no right to wear a badge, much more call themselves Officers.

What county was this in?

1) If it was before they hunted, and the GW broke the stick plug, the guy wasn't hunting, so how is that a violation if he hadn't taken a shot yet?

2) If it was after they hunted and everything was legal, then the GW forcibly broke the stick plug, it seems clear that the hunter was legal until the GW made his gun illegal. How is this different from the GW disassembling the gun, removing the plug and writing a ticket? Or my other example, a cop braking your taillight and writing you a ticket for a broken taillight?

I'm curious if he got sideways with the warden or something. That is a harsh ticket for someone that appeared to try and obey the law.

Yep, and being third party, there is no "obvious" about the story given. How young was this person that got the ticket and did they get tickets for any other violations? What is funny is every time someone posts one of these one sided GW stories, the GW that wrote the tickets either reads the post or is pointed to it by another TPWD employee or GW on the forum. Most GWs are hunters and some I am sure frequent the forum. So hope he got his facts straight since you just publicly shared it.

I don't know about the stick being legal or not. I am still trying to figure out why you can only have 3 shells to shoot waterfowl in this steel shot world.