I see no problem with the game warden writing a warning or a ticket. Games wardens get unverifiable stories all the time from folks. He found you in possession of an untagged deer at a location where you didn't kill it. That is a ticketable offense.

He did cut you a break. He wrote you a warning. I don't know why you are complaining. You didn't have to pay a fine or argue with the judge about it in court.

If you think you have a valid complaint, take it up with TPWD. Of course, like FJG, they are going to wonder why you waited 2 years.

Has nothing to do with post count.

You're craving drama and an argument, and I called you on it. The post count argument was, and still is weak as a kitten.

Saw it happen to a friend of mine. He shot a doe and a buck in the evening. No pen, so he loaded both deer into the Ranger and drove back to camp. Was sitting at the kitchen table with his license in front of him when the GW walked in. Got two tickets. Fine wasn't much when he explained it to the judge, couple of hundred.

I shot a pronghorn once, filled out the tag but put it in my pocket because I was going to have to drag him a ways over some very rough country and didn’t want the tag to come off while dragging him. I was alone.

New Mexico GW met me at the road with his ticket book out. I pulled the filled- out tag from my pocket but also told him I knew I was in violation. He hesitated for a minute, then put his book up and congratulated me on the goat.

I am positive me not arguing or whining was what got me that break.

I do too, and the was glad I set him straight

I have no GW problems and no LE problems. I have a highhill on my place. At times the local Sheriff Deputies and the GW have sat up there overlooking the road looking for suspicious activities like road or night hunting and or drug deals. Of course, when the Grandsons were under 21 and had some beer they were nervous and wanted me to install a driveway alarm.

They know that they had better tag a deer because he just might stop by

If the Grandson had been caught with the deer before he got back to Gpa, he would have been in a heap of trouble.

I know its a serious issue but I hate it when my dad forgets his glasses and shows up to camp with an untagged deer looking for somebody who can see that little print to help him. Makes me nervous as hell. Now that I'm getting older though, that print on the licenses does seem to be shrinking if not getting blurry. A new addition to my hunting pack is a pair of cheaters. I don't want my kids to be as nervous too. If he gets caught I hope the GW takes his sight into account and he just gets a warning. He had cataract surgery so hopefully this year he won't have to take that chance.

Don't see where the GW was out of line. That was probably the 100th time that week he'd given that lecture. Follow the rules and you'll never have an issue.
I'm a rule follower by nature....well....except for this one

All scolding aside, I do kinda see what OP says.

Our county is full of child molesters, illegals aliens, meth cooks & other sure enough crooks. But we spend so much LE time on ridiculous pissant BS.

I’m just keeping my post count up...

There are LEOs whose job it is to catch those folks too. Whole departments and agencies in fact at the local, state, and national levels.

A GW’s job is to enforce game laws.

Don't really thing that JG needs to keep up his count. He normally puts good info out. You were wrong. Let it go. Be glad you received a warning. I have worked with Game Wardens for a LONG time, both in Texas and Colorado. I have been fortunate and worked with some very good ones. This has been said many times on this forum about contact with any L/E; your attitude many times will determine theirs. If you don't like the answers you get - don't ask..

I think this thread can be summed up with a quote a very great man, my grandfather, told me a long, long time ago....

If someone calls you a jackarse just ignore it and go on about your business, but if everyone is calling you a jackares you better start looking for a saddle....

I’ll let you figure it out for yourself....

Dang shame that in the 21st century our vehicles still don't have headlights, back lights or inside dome lights. Even worse that cell phones don't have lit screens or heaven forbid a flashlight feature these days. A WAG on my part is that this is not the first time that GW's have been out to this property.

Ahh, the ol' 'busted flashlight' excuse. You have to give the warden a little slack, he's heard that one 100 times and at least 99 they were FOS. You got a warning, which is what you deserved.

You have no business complaining about this. You went on an evening hunt knowing full well the sun was going to set soon. You shot the buck at dusk, with night just around the corner. Before you went out hunting, you should have made sure you carried a flashlight with you. What makes it even worse is that YOU didn't go to retrieve the buck, you got your grandson to do it. You not only put yourself in danger of violating the law, but you also put your grandson at risk as well. On top of that, when the game warden approached you and reprimanded you for breaking the law, you insulted him and then came on here and complained about it on here 2 seasons after the fact. This is 100% on you and you have zero excuses. Learn from your mistake, be sure to actually follow the law, and don't whine about it on here. We hunters already get enough crap as it is, we don't need people breaking the law making it worse for us.

Most fitting

I love that quote, they used a similar version on the TV show Justified - "If you run into an [censored] in the morning, you ran into an [censored]. If you run into [censored] all day, you're probably the [censored].".
I said a slightly toned down version to my wife once we she was complaining everyone in the house was being mean to her... I dont recommend using this one on your wife...

GW in our county has no problem with bringing a deer from the stand to camp and then tagging. I fill my tag and log out completely and lay the tag on my console if I am skinning and quartering. Since I skin, gut, & quarter a deer hanging upside down if I tagged the head the tag would become unreadable. If I let one hang (very rare) then I will tag it.

His flashlight must have been a Timex, and I'm still waiting to see the 16" buck make it back from the taxidermist.

I do mine the same way. But the MLD tag is filled out, put in a ziploc bag and tie-wrapped to a buck's antler or through a slit I make in a doe's ear. The tag always remains legible. Now, being MLD, I don't have to tag until I have the deer back at headquarters, and I don't. But it's the first thing I do before I begin cleaning a deer. That way if the GW does show up, I'm always legal.

It has nothing to do with the light. You broke the law. Be thankful you didnt get a ticket or a deer taken.