Be aware...game wardens can track you down from you walkie talkie conversations...we had it happen to us last weekend. We kept hearing someone slamming doors at our camp while we were in the stand. We got back to camp to find that the Game Warden was waiting for us, and had been through the entire camp trailer and vehicles before we got back to camp. Good thing we were all legal! But it's kind of disheartening to know someone can come go through all you stuff with no real reason other than they overheard a conversation about hunting on a walkie talkie!

But it's kind of disheartening to know someone can come go through all you stuff with no real reason other than they overheard a conversation about hunting on a walkie talkie!


Not sure walkie talkies had any thing to do with it.

They can pretty much do anything they want to. Thats what happens when you take on one of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S

I know I am going to catch some heat for this, but......Game Wardens have way too much authority. What happened to probable cause before a search. Most people that spend a lot of time in the woods know here the GW is gonna be and when. I avoid those places most of the time because I don't feel like having him look through my crap. In addition, they are the only law enforcement that typically write tickets for violations that have not happened. For instance, how can they write a ticket for possession of lead shot just because a person is in a boat and has been duck hunting. Possession is not illegal. Hunting waterfowl with lead shot is illegal. If they see you shooting lead, then they should be able to write a ticket. If I want to shoot ducks off a slough on my deer lease and carry around of buckshot in my pocket for hogs, that is not illegal but thye will write a ticket for it. They know that no one wants to waste the time fighting a hundred dollar ticket in court. One of the reasons they are so adamant about searching people's stuff is to look for drugs. Their responsibility is to enforce game laws, not drug laws. Anyway this is all just my opinion, so take it or leave it.

I've never been checked at the lease, but would welcome it. I want the local game warden to know me and the people that are SUPPOSED to be on our property.

I have been a LEO and know, there are a few bad ones out there.....

That said, several years ago in LLano area, south of Castell actually, there had been several camps burglarized. One deputy sheriff came to camp and warned us to lock up and such.

Next morning, from top of a big rock about half a mile away, I saw a truck coming up the road...dust cloud. It stopped in camp. Using binoculars I watch the game warden look around the camp, then into the house/lodge, then into every truck, then check every door on every truck (we had locked almost everything in the trucks, the camp door wouldn't lock), then go back in the lodge. Came back out eating one of my apples...

Only bad game warden I ever met or knew anything about. The rest have been great guys, polite and professional. He never came back and checked us, or came back for any reason.

I have no problem with the game warden, he can come onto our place at anytime. He can search it if I am there or not there. I could careless all they are doing are their jobs. I even offered him a key to the gate so he would not have to climb over the gate and could drive to the cabin, but he refused that. I would give him a key to the cabin so he could go in at anytime if he asked.

Well I think now days the drug situation is getting so bad in the country that GW have to be careful with where they go. Those drug dealers take there business scary and when you add in drugs and weapons it can get out of control real quick. Its just really sad to see drugs getting bad in local little country towns and alot of the time a GW is the only person around in the area with authority to do anything about it. How many sheriff or police cars do you see out in the middle of country not many. I give GW alot of respect for what they have to deal with and who they have to deal with.

Just abide by all game laws and ya got no problems. I've asked the GW to check my place every chance he gets.

Agreed on that one. I've been tight with our game warden ever since he and I spent an entire day catching a poacher on our place 2 years ago. Seeing the care he took with gathering evidence, and how he was willing to do a lot of hiking (this is in Big Bend country) gave me a serious respect for the man. I wish he would camp out at our place all season, he can search my belongings all he wants.

Well I know not to depend on most of ya'll if there ever comes a time when our fourth amendment rights as free citizens have to be defended.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

If there are any LEOs on this forum, please chime in and tell me how you get around the fourth amendment.

Just My Opinion on this, but I firmly believe that way too many folks start throwing the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and what they do or don't grant us as individuals.

When those documents were written, the folks involved had no concept that this country would last another 50 yeras, let alone 200+.

They also had no thought or idea that the population would go from what it was, to what it is now.

If this offends you duckilla, then so be it. Personnally, I am glad the GW's have the authority they do, and they are welcome in my home or hunting camp anytime.

A person that is not doing anything that borders on being illegal should not have any worries.

GW's are the ONLY LEO's I know of that have to knowingly deal with armed individuals in remote places and at strange hours.

Actually, the walkie talkies had everything to do with it, because when we asked them how they found us, they told us they had been listening to our conversations all weekend. They also got into the gate without a key, because they drove down to our place..still have not figured that one out! They just said they have their ways. Anyway, it's not that I am agaist them being there, in fact I welcome it..since we do seem to have a poacher or two as well. It is just deflating to know that you have done nothing wrong, but get your stuff searched without even knowing about it, or probable cause. Yes, I know that is their right to do it, but why would they search your stuff without even thinking you did anything wrong. I am thinking maybe they had problems with someone that might have been there before us, that's the only thing I can figure out.

The whole point of this post is not to bag on the GW, it's just to let fellow hunters know that big brother IS watching and LISTENING to more than you think they are. So watch what you say on your camp radios!

GWs are not the only LEO officers that have to knowingly deal with armed individuals in remote places and at strange hours. In my opinion, even the worst river rat toting a gun is going to do so more safely than one of the residents in south Dallas that thinks that his new Glock shoots better when you hold it sideways while you pull your pants up with the other hand. As for throwing the bill of rights into the subject, the Texas Administrative Code, which is updated annually states that a GW or other representative has no right to enter a "temporary residence" (i.e. deer camp, duck camp, your sister's trailer house) without probable cause. If I am wrong somebody please let me know, I have been wrong before.

How many locks are on the gate going into your lease????

Unless things have changed a lot over the past 30 years, the GW's I knew up in Archer and Young counties, had keys that the LANDOWNERS had given them.

If you hunt on timber company land, then they definitely have a key. You would be surprised how many people have keys to timber land, pipeline ROWs, oil wells, etc.

I always used the "vehicle inventory" rather than search, and the old "pat-down" works good, as does the consent to search form.

Really, I wasn't bashing anyone, except that one guy.

They are always welcome at our places. The more the merrier

Amen, Brother!!!! Keep your nose clean & you got nothin to worry about. As far as the whole lead shot deal, if you're duck huntin & have lead shot on you, no matter what kind, you ARE breakin the law. "No person, while hunting waterfowl anywhere in the state, may possess shotgun shells containing lead shot or loose lead shot for use in muzzleloaders." It's in black and white in your waterfowl digest. Instead of gettin mad because he gave you a ticket, be thankful he's out there, doing a thankless job for below average wages.

Around here the GW often rides with the county deputy. The narcotics task force will use them for searches. Out here there is alot of illeagal stuff going on in the boonies.It is a loophole that is used and sometimes abused. To them it could be a group of hunters or it could be wets. Could be a hunting camp or a cook shack for ice. Tough dudes all of em. Sighn of the times, big brother is watching

Nobody is mad, and I didn't get a ticket. And I have no sympathy for him doing his thankless job for below average wages. He had the same opportunities to get higher paying job as you and me did. You can't complain about the wages if you accepted the job. Thanks for the letting me know about the possession of lead shot law right there in black and white in the Waterfowl Digest.

One request I have is for the state to buy them the t-post stepper. I hate stopping dove hunting and hiking to them.

I would think they have a 'bump key' for each major lock manufacturer. That will get them into almost all locks. How could they keep track of 1,000 keys for county?

GAME WARDENS RULE... THE LAW IS THE LAW AND WE'D BE IN A WORLD OF $HI# WITHOUT THEM . I respect what they do and suport them 100%.Thank you.

I don't know much about Game Laws, but I know that before you can LEGALLY search, is with Consent, or Probable Cause. To have probable cause you must see, hear, smell, or feel something that you know is illegal. Example, smelling marijuana, or seeing any illegal weapons or contraband. Inventory only works when you have arrested someone, or you are towing the vehicle. I am not sure if GW's need Probable Cause or not, but I do know that there are alot of urban legends about what a GW can and can not do.