I can't disagree there but like stated before, only pressure on the department can result in a change of approach.

Caught one poaching Friday, that sucker was in one of my favorite arrowhead hunting spot's. I've known him for a long time and never knew he hunted arrowhead's. We talked for a good half hour and I even broke down during interrogation and gave up a couple of more spot's he needed to check out. Even did a little flint knapping demo for him. He's a good man and keeps a good eye on the local ranches, we need more just like him. He's got allot of area to cover with 3 counties and need's some help, new class graduating soon so maybe he get's a little relief.

GW's and BP agents have the very best arrowhead collections.

I would venture to say there are many more good potatoes in that bin than bad but you know it only takes rotten one to stink up the whole cellar.

By far the good out weigh the bad. Have known several GWs personally and they are salt of the earth, great guys. Hated to see Zack Havens leave Tom Green county, he was one of the best. The two young men we now have down here in Terrell county are doing an outstanding job. To be honest, I've seen and dealt with them more in the two years they've been down here, than all the GWs the twenty+ years prior. Even got a ride from one and shared supper with him.

But in this case, there were a lot more than just one potato stinking up the cellar.

Yep, that's what you usually find once you start digging through the bin.

East Tx had a game warden a few years back that was fired for ruffing up a guy in jail that he had just arrested. He was a real d head being the game warden. He had a horrible ego problem. He also snuck into a pond with his kids and the land owner caught them. The game warden told the land owner that he couldn't do anything about it, because he was I GUESS SPECIAL? The land owner was some kind of local politician too. I don't think anything came out of it, but his bad attitude caught up with him in the long run.

I forgot to tell you about the Game Warden that got busted shooting roosting mallards in the Cherokee Bayou. He was fired too. Something about those big greenheads circling around quaking got the best of him.

Would you want someone to donate to a thief that just stole or was intending to steal from YOUR house and was accidentally shot by a neighbor playing around? I wouldn't.

nuts

It only takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch.

I know it has been a while since this thread has had a post. But I received a reply from my Texas Representative Lyle Larson. He basically said that they are doing anything else about it.
But Hey! I got a reply!

I think you nailed it. Just a wild hunch, but my guess is this situation with endorsements and permits is/was much more widespread and they can't fire them all. Biologists that manage a public hunting area and wardens that patrol a specific hunting area are just not going to be checked by another game warden. Some employees probably did not even think about needing endorsements or an APH hunting permit or limited use permit for the very area land they have been assigned to manage or patrol and in many cases live on. I would not be surprised if one could pull open records of license endorsements and permits of TPWD biologists, game wardens, politicians, etc. from prior to the publicity from Chris Fried's accident and find several had some endorsement or permit missing on their license that would normally be required related to what or where they hunt, hike, boat, or fish while off duty. Baring an accident or other incident outing a violation, it would pretty much be unenforceable and on an honor system for those persons to comply. If those records are accessible I would not be surprised either if those same public licensing records showed a lot of state TPWD employees obtaining those missing endorsements and permits just after the publicity of the event or when renewing their license. If there was not a memo directed towards TPWD employees to be sure to comply with all licenses and permits because of this, someone up top in Austin would be smart to send one out. I am glad Chris Fried is ok. He is very lucky to be alive.

Speaking of being unenforceable. I started a new thread rather than hijack this one, but Arkansas as of last month is no longer checking for hunting/fishing licenses unless there has been a reasonable suspicion of a law violation. To do otherwise was ruled by the Arkansas Supreme Court to be a violation of a hunter's consitutional rights.
http://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/5852989#Post5852989

Hmm. That sounds plumb reasonable to me. But I'm a little off at times.

Ole' Lyle Larson...

Honestly, I'd be fine if it was written into law that all Game Wardens and state biologists received free hunting licenses or were exempt from purchasing them as part of being employed in those positions. Until that's the case, though, they should absolutely be required to purchase one, like the rest of us, and if they are found in violation of game laws, in anyway, regardless of whether they are exempt or receive free licenses, they should be fired without warning.

I still maintain that Chris Fried should have been fired and prosecuted and also not able to file worker's comp.

I would really, really like to see some facts that substantiate your claim

This reflects the corruption that runs rampant through all our government. Wish I could say I was surprised.

I am amazed at how many come to the defense of this kind of stuff and try to justify a GW, cop etc breaking the law. I appreciate all the hardworking, honest civil servants we have but way too often the bad apples are protected by these same hardworking, "honest" civil servants.

Just google Game Warden charged, indicted, arrested, fired.....not hard to find at all.