If this happens routinely and the same warden keeps entering the same property over and over again, I would agree with you. What if you were the landowner and he was there checking the leases and protecting your investment. I'm going to bet now that he knows a home is there and not a hunting ranch, he won't be picking the lock every weekend to check up on them.

I like seeing game wardens on the property. If wardens are commonly seen in the area there's a good chance the outlaws won't be.

Agree with both points, as hunters we know we have to meet certain guidelines and restrictions, that comes with the outdoor sport. The state is responsible to regulate, enforce, control and secure those sports. They do need some latitude to do this and it is a fine line, but we except it when we take to the field. No doubt some will go over what the law intended, some may even knowingly abuse that power and those are the ones who should be called to the carpet.

Being the state is near all private, they will be on "your land" if need be.

I would bet that a hunting license falls under the same ideology as a drivers license, not a right, but a privilege granted by the state, which comes with rules and regs you must accept.

And merry Christmas to you.

i know its the holiday season and all, i get it, but we cant have this, boo on these last two posts. just boo.

LOL you like fussin', do you?

i enjoy all the differing views on these topics but there are a few showdowns that i really look forward to:

NP v. rancher
NP v. Bobo
Bobo v. Dan
rancher v. TX
TX v. STX
STX v. RM
STX v. Bobo

and i'm sure i am missing a few....

Well, just hang on. Like the old German shepherd dog told Richard Pryor, " Hey Rich, you know I'm goin' to be chasin' you again tomorrow?"

Whew, I didn't make the list.

Hours of entertainment.

But I like the discussions too. I just hate it when folks start taking things too seriously and get butthurt because another person has a different opinion. We're all on the same team.

Merry Christmas!

I have met about 6 different GW in my lifetime. Only one was a little upset over having to stop and check us out in a dove field. Just seemed he was having a bad day. Coryell county GW, Colt Gaulden, is a good one. Talk to him at least once every couple months just to see what is going on and very professional....... He lets me know if anything is going on in the county and what he is having to spend his time on mostly during that month.

on the same team as long as we don't start running down the folks who protect us everyday

If anyone gets tore up to bad I'll send you some.

I have had way more negative than positive encounters with them in Texas. I always feel that Texas Wardens treat me as if I am a criminal and guilty of something even when I am completely legal. There is just a general distrust of the public on there behalf. Oddly my many encounters with New Mexico wardens has been 100% positive. We actually look Foward to our encounters with the New Mexico wardens because they really give you some great tips on areas to hunt. More importantly they treat you with respect and courtesy. Something that seems to be lacking in Texas GW.

My thought too.

I love a good debate, even if everyone else is wrong and don't agree with me.

I hate to hear that Erny. Everytime I meet our GW on a dirt road we stop and shoot the bull for sometimes close to an hour. We exchanged cell numbers when he first came here a few years ago and we talk almost monthly. He has a key to our locks and has been encouraged to look around when he comes our way. To bad we can't all have a GW like we have.

Lots of folks to check, they don't have the luxury of waiting until the time is right for you!

Cracks me up all the folks who think the GW is being nice because they're just good ol boys and girls and want to be your friend.

They are trained by the same folks who train our dps. They are taught to buddy up to you, shoot some bull, and get you to drop your defense.

The fact is they are not your friend. They are looking for violations in the most successful way they can, by making you feel comfortable shooting the chit.

Incredible that grown ups ain't got that figgered out.

As I understand it, the GW's job is to protect the wildlife resource and the public. I've PERSONALLY never had a bad encounter but haven't had that many encounters of any kind. I no longer want encounters of any kind.

Unfortunately, I've talked to guys that I know who got ticketed over simple mistakes. One 14 year old that I know got ticketed for an incompletely or erroneously filled out tag. That wasn't necessary and had to leave a bad impression about LEO's in general.

I also know a young guy who got ticketed for viewing deer with a loaded rifle. The kid, 19 at the time, quit hunting for the day and was driving home. On the way, he passed by a high fence operation and saw some monster bucks. He looked at them through his rifle scope. He went to court and the GW admitted that he knew the kid wasn't going to shoot but had violated the letter of the law. The JP, as usual, agreed with the GW and the Kid paid a hefty fine.

In both cases these kids learned 2 things. First is to always obey the letter of the law, the 2nd lesson wasn't all that positive about the law in general and GW's in particular.

Only a very naive person would believe that any law is equally enforced.

Sadly, it appears that that all of the legal system is now revenue oriented.

I somewhat agree with Rancher and fully agree with Dave. Couple young guys that could have been helped out with some simple correction and left with a positive impression of the GW. I was gonna call a GW in Kansas about a deer being shot with a rifle during bow but my buddies, all legal, said no way then he'll be hanging around hassling us the whole time we're here. I for one don't want the GW, or Sheriff for that matter, "popping" by my place to "visit", I have friends for that, I hunt it regular but I live there too as do wife and kids.

Disagree. Unless a GW KNOWS or has a VERY reasonable suspicion that a law is being violated, he or she should NEVER ruin a person's hunt just to check a license.

Then become a game warden.

No problem with license checks at all.

Now, during the first 30 minutes of an opening day hunt as someone mentioned? Problem.
Perfectly legal-but perfectly rude and unnecessary too.

So when your local GW spends the better part of a school day putting on outdoor programs for three different campuses showing films of wildlife adventures with exhibitions of gun safety and laws with demonstrations from local sheriff department LEO's, a local professional bowhunter marksman, and our county agent they are actually just buddying up and investigating the school system and the kids for possible past and future violators of our criminal and game laws. You know I never even thought of that way.

Exactly my point. Jacking with prime time is absolutely unnecessary, unless again, a law is being violated. For example, the GW can see a hunter not wearing the required hunter orange on public land, or carrying a rifle instead of a bow in bow only areas, etc.