My buddy and I were goose hunting this past week in the panhandle. He had been up there several days before me and had breasted out some birds and had them in a cooler he had put in the back of my truck. We were pheasant hunting one afternoon and when we walked back to my truck the game warden was sitting there waiting. He had been through my truck and made us stand in the ditch like we were hardened criminals. Now, I know my buddy should have left a wing attached, but he didn't. He knows that, but it still was an unpleasant event. He was issued 3 citations...one goose...one duck...and one for Sandhills crane. I thought it was a bit harsh. It really pissed me off that he searched my truck without permission. My buddy has been an avid waterfowl hunter for over 30 years and is always conscious of taking only legal limits, etc. He cancelled the next two days hunting and went home. I think a warning would have been more appropriate. I guess this kind of action saves the PETA folks money trying to keep people from hunting. I just found it a bit much. I am every bit as much against poaching and illegal harvesting of game as anyone else.

Wow. Some game wardens are real nice about that kind of thing. This guy sounds like a real piece of work.

So you said your buddy knew better but should have gotten a warning? Hmmmmmmm

He was very young. Probably afraid to be lenient and not go strictly by the book. Many of those guys with experience use common sense and judgement in these situations and I appreciate their efforts. It just really leaves a bad taste and spoils a hunting trip.

You have to understand that a game warden DOES NOT NEED your permission to search your truck. If the warden has probable cause {your were obviously out hunting} and the coolers were in plain sight {in the bed of the truck} then YES he can search them with out you present. Your friend broke the law plain and simple and paid the price. BTW Do you know why Game Wardens are used to enter suspected drug houses? because a game warden does not need a search warrant. All he needs is the suspicion to believe the residents in the house may have broken state game laws. They can search your house, your barns, your cars, your boats and your land all with out a warrant. Game wardens have more authority in Texas to enforce ALL state laws than Texas Rangers do...

that is not "exactly" correct. It is a popular myth however.

G6.5 the laws are spelled out in black and white. One of my buddies had to deal with this a couple years ago with pheasant. There may be a way out IF you were on private land. You will need a letter from the landowner/landowner's agent stating the game animals were taken legally to the local court of jurisdiction. Just read the whole hand book published by TPWD, it is in there.

WOW, your buddy violates the law, gets caught, gets a ticket, and you want to rant. WOW. Sorry for the GW doing his job.

I only hunt here at the house,so I'm not familiar with this. I take my birds home whole and clean them, but when you are on a several day out of town hunting trip when can you finish processing and packaging your birds?

Same thing happened to a few friends of mine recently. They all got tickets as well. From what I hear could happen, you got off light.

It could have been handled better I think from a PR standpoint with a warning. Enforcing rules and regulations does always mean being punitive.

The offense you described will always receive a citation and should. It is not an oops/oversite situation in the GW world. If you bought licences at wal-mart and they forgot the upland stamp that could fall under the oops/oversite category. You will not find sympathy here about that offense. Like it or not that is how it is! BTW the GW could have taken the gun too, so yes he did not hammer y'all as hard as he could have.

Had the offender been in his personal vehicle, could the GW seize that as well if he wanted to?

maybe

Leave the meat at home or in the cabin/hotel next time maybe??? The GW was doing his job, so no rant necessary. If he knew it was wrong then he shouldn't have done it. Had to know that the GW's are in full force during Pheasant season up there so everyone is gettin checked!

Can you please post the penal code law or code of criminal procedure rule allowing a game warden more authority than any other police officer, please?

he can't because there isn't one.

The mythical, magical powers of the game warden.

Grendal 6.5 PM me where your were hunting. I had a similar run in with a GW in the panhandle on fez weekend. We went titti to titti for about 15 mimutes and he finally voided the citation. I am curious if it was the same one but I don't want the place named on the forum.

You forgot to add more authority than say ohhhh the constitution, because apparently they do according to you.

yall two need to wait on your own fish to bite and leave my bobber alone

A lot of valid points here. I can appreciate all positions. I just know cooperative efforts and team work tend to be more productive than adversarial and punitive actions.

X2

So what is the law concerning breasted meat in an ice chest in the bed of a pickup? Is it that he should have left the ice chest at the hotel or something? Its against the law to have meat in your vehicle? Sorry for my ignorance.

The guide we were hunting with said they had really been hammering them for the smallest thing. I think the comment about the constitution hit the nail on the head. I am a fraud investigator and there are laws I have to abide by in the process of my investigations. Obviously, some do not.

No officer has a right to search your vehicle without your permission or warrant if the vehicle is on private property. Probable cause does not fall into this one fellers.