Let me start out by saying I’m glad to see them in our area and appreciate all their hard work. I realize it’s a tough job. We’ve had some neighbor issues and you may recall the break-in we experienced this summer, so again, very thankful to see them on patrol in our area.
I didn’t hunt Saturday evening because of the heat and full moon. Thursday and Friday were tough, so I decided to hang back and cook. 715 PM, I hear “texas game warden” as I’m standing on the porch in plain clothes, no shoes, cold beer and cooking steaks waiting on the rest to show up. One guy immediately pulls his license out. He asked if we had any game which I then replied a couple had luck and offered to show our MLD game log. Also offered for him to go through all coolers ect. Nothing to hide. . We chatted a little bit longer, off topic, and then he asked for my license. I jokingly said “am I hunting?” Well, I could tell he didn’t appreciate that comment and as the lecture began, I quickly said follow me, it’s in the truck.
I don’t have a problem showing my license and I’d never intentionally break a law, just seemed uncalled for. Never mentioned I went hunting, was after dark, and I’m in plain clothes cooking on the grill. What if i didn’t have a license and was just there cooking and hanging out.
Kind of like being asked for a DL when you’re not operating a motor vehicle. Didn’t seem right. Overall, we had a good conversation, but I could tell I struck a nerve. Whoops.

any one of those make it 'reasonable' to ask to see your license...

doesn't matter 'that you wern't huntin' at that moment; he coulda been checkin' maybe that you possibly did/didn't fill out deer log from two weeks ago (archery) among other things . . .

Just doin' his job....

Agree he’s doing his job. Log book was to confirm “others” had luck. Not me.

Interesting comment.

Other than speeding and a rolling stop or a 1000 or so I'm a law abiding citizen. I have a license tag my game and follow the game rules. That said I don't want a game warden near my hunting property.

Sounds like he could have lightened up a little.

Have only been checked by a game warden 1 time while deer hunting and I just didn't get a warm and fuzzy when he drove up to our camp because he had a key to the power company lock on the locked front gate.

That's why we have a separate chain on the gate we put our lock on when we're there. If the GW wants to come hassle us he's going to have to walk 2 miles.

Noted. I’ll be sure to lookout for red chevys when approaching a 4 way stop. Lol.
Yeah, I’m typically a yes sir, no sir, have a good day when our bird hunting or fishing.. . but I want him to remember my name in the event I need him for something on this property..

I agree they could lighten up a little. I got a call on Sunday from a game warden. He asked for my adult son and I asked who was calling and then asked for me. He identified himself as the GW of Kaufman County and wanted to know about the deer we shot in Eastland County. I asked him what he would like to know and then told him the story of a couple bucks we shot and then took to a processor in Kaufman County. He asked if we had tagged the deer and I said yes. They were tagged with the ranches MLD tags. He said he had checked the log at the processor and there were no tags. I explained that I had handed everything over to the processor, the processor took all my info and handed the tags back claiming that he didn't need them. He again asked what kind of tags. I went to my truck and pulled them out of the console and read him the tags. He lectured me that the tags needed to stay with the deer. I told him that the processor handed them back to me and said he didn't need them. I then asked if I was in some kind of trouble and he said no, he was just checking the story and wanted me to know that it was my responsibility to ensure the tags stayed with the meat. I was tired of the conversation and said yes sir, it will never happen again and hung up. I guess I am now responsible for the processor's ignorance.

When it comes to the law you have to know what has to be done.
Even dealing with an ignorant processor it's still your responsibility, and he could have ticketed you.

I enjoy our game warden, and I have personally deer, duck, and night hunted with him on several occasions. I enjoy their company, and like listening to some of the crazy stories they tell. I guess it depends on your personal mentality of doing something wrong and getting caught. I don't do illegal stuff, so I don't mind the law coming around doing their job at all.

Sec. 12.102. INSPECTION OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES. (a) In this section:

(1) "Residence" means a person's principal or ordinary home or dwelling place.

(2) "Temporary residence" means a place where a person temporarily dwells or seeks shelter. The term does not include a hunting blind. The term does include a:

(A) hunting club or lodge;

(B) clubhouse;

(C) cabin;

(D) tent;

(E) manufactured home used as a hunting club or lodge; and

(F) hotel room, motel room, or room in a boardinghouse used during a hunting trip.

(3) "Wildlife resource" means any animal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, or form of aquatic life or any part of an animal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, or form of aquatic life the hunting, catching, or possession of which is regulated by this code.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a game warden or other peace officer commissioned by the department who observes a person engaged in an activity regulated by this code or under the jurisdiction of the commission or reasonably believes that a person is or has been engaged in an activity regulated by this code or under the jurisdiction of the commission may inspect:

(1) any license, permit, tag, or other document issued by the department and required by this code of a person hunting or catching wildlife resources;

(2) any device that may be used to hunt or catch a wildlife resource;

(3) any wildlife resource in the person's possession; and

(4) the contents of any container or receptacle that is commonly used to store or conceal a wildlife resource.

(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a game warden or other peace officer commissioned by the department may inspect any wildlife resource that has been taken by a person and is in plain view of the game warden or other peace officer.

(d) Nothing in this section authorizes a game warden or other peace officer commissioned by the department to conduct a search otherwise authorized by this section:

(1) in a person's residence or temporary residence; or

(2) on a publicly maintained road or way that is:

(A) improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic;

(B) open to the public; and

(C) distinguishable from a shoulder, berm, or other area not intended for vehicular traffic.


Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 558, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.





Sec. 12.103. ENTERING LAND; USE OF INFORMATION OBTAINED BY ENTRY; CIVIL PENALTY. (a) To enforce the game and fish laws of the state and to conduct scientific investigations and research regarding wild game or fish, an authorized employee of the department may enter on any land or water where wild game or fish are known to range or stray. No action may be sustained against an employee of the department to prevent his entering on land or water when acting in his official capacity as described by this subsection.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (d), the department may use information collected by an employee of the department on privately owned land only for the purposes of scientific investigations and research described in Subsection (a) and only if authorized in writing by the landowner or the landowner's agent. Unless the department first obtains the written consent of the landowner or the landowner's agent, the department may not:

(1) use other incidental information obtained on the land that does not pertain directly to the investigation or research authorized under Subsection (a); or

(2) enter or permit the entry of any information that does not pertain directly to the investigation or research authorized under Subsection (a), into a database:

(A) maintained by the department and available to a person other than a department employee;

(B) maintained by a natural heritage program administered by the department; or

(C) established and maintained by any other person.

(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), information collected under this section may only be reported or compiled in a manner that prevents the identification of an individual parcel or specific parcels of private property without the written consent of the landowner or the landowner's agent.

(d) The department may collect and enter data as necessary relating to the occurrence or harvest of natural resources in public land or water. The department may collect and report standardized annual wildlife survey information required by the Pitman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. Section 669 et seq.).

(e) The department is liable to a private landowner for a civil penalty in the amount of $1,000 for a violation of this section involving information collected by an employee of the department on the landowner's property. A landowner may bring suit to collect the penalty in the county in which the land is located or the county in which the landowner resides.


Acts 1975, 64th Leg., p. 1405, ch. 545, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1975. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 521, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.





Sec. 12.104. RIGHT TO SEARCH AND INSPECT. (a) A game warden or other peace officer commissioned by the department may search a game bag, vehicle, vessel, or other receptacle if the game warden or peace officer has a reasonable, articulable suspicion that the game bag, vehicle, vessel, or receptacle contains a wildlife resource that has been unlawfully killed or taken.

(b) A game warden or other peace officer commissioned by the department may inspect a wildlife resource or a part or product of a wildlife resource that is discovered during a search under Subsection (a) of this section.

(c) In this section "wildlife resource" means an animal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, or other aquatic life the taking or possession of which is regulated in any manner by this code.


Acts 1975, 64th Leg., p. 1405, ch. 545, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1975. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 261, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 26, 1991.

This is directly from the Parks and Wildlife Code in Texas. I honestly believe there is some issues with it compared to the 4th Amendment and the right person with the funds and a good lawyer willing to go to the top could stop Game Wardens from entering private property without probable cause that a violation has occurred. I have a bit of an issue getting checked as mention in the OP when just sitting around cooking or taking a nap and not in the act of hunting or fishing. Just my personal opinion on the matter.

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.

Our game warden has been really helpful recently. We've had some thefts and break-ins the past couple of months, and he drove to our ranch and drove around checking it out when we were not there. He took pictures of the front gate that had been opened and texted them to me. He's really helpful. He's also helped us with the local sheriff.

I would welcome the local game warden to come to our camp. My best friends uncle was a game warden in Brady for 17 years. He told us some great stories over the years!! I would like to meet him anyway because we just started hunting in Montague County.

I had the GW show up at 1 in the morning on a Thursday morning. They checked our trucks, RV, game cooler and licenses. I have no problem with it as they have to have teeth for the poachers.

Wow. Were y’all up and awake, or did they wake you?

Game Wardens carry BIG bolt cutters.

Game wardens aren't going to cut any chains or locks without a damn good reason. You know that as well as I do.

Then why use a different lock while you're there?

I don't like a game warden around any more than I like a policeman/highway patrolman following me down the road. I follow the law and don't knowingly speed, but it still makes me nervous. We had a game warden last year come around behind our campers and start going through coolers. Seemed sort of dangerous to not declare yourself, so we all knew what was going on. The sneaking around stuff is what I don't like.

Just something we started doing Sept. 1, 2002. The last time I saw a game warden in our county. He came out and acted like an arsehole, wrote one ticket for an unplugged shotgun and started threatening to take the guy to jail. He stayed a long time going through our stuff and looking for some other infraction. The landowner finally called the local judge and put the warden on the phone with him. The warden left after that.

I'm sure it's not still the same guy but why deal with them if you don't have to?

I think having a sour personality is a requirement for being a Game Warden.
It's a guilty until proven innocent mentality with them. I don't know if they are instructed to act that way but it gets real old. I don't get it.

I'm thinking he is saying they have keys to the co-op locks so they use their own chain knowing the Warden won't cut the chain or lock without a damn good reason.

Understandable.

If I encountered half the people that have the attitude like some of these posts while I was doing my job, I would probably be a little sour too....

Love the “guilty until proven guilty” of the game wardens, but then someone States in the next breathe “came in and harassed us and wrote a bs ticket for no plug. Yep, he was just looking for something.

Game Warden is always welcome in our camp and always has been. If they find a violation, they write a warning or a ticket and move along. We typically see them 4-5 times a year.

I agree. Goodness, some of y'all are rough to begin with. If you go into the situation with a sour attitude, trust me, it shows through and a GW can read that. I have had many encounters with MANY GW coming to our deer camps over the years fishing and hunting. I have never had a bad experience, even when others were ticketed. (One guy even tagged an 8 point buck with a Red Drum tag!) I'm glad they are around, because I personally know several people who break game rules often, and some of them fairly severe.