I hunt Upland in NE, CO and Kansas. I hunt 30 days a season. I’ve only seen an officer in CO. Probably driven past them or they past me, about 5 times in the past 6 years. In CO they seem to target groups over an individual. Probably catch a lot more violations with casual hunters hunting. The one time I got checked was when I met a neighbors relative. He had two guys with him and the officer was following them as they arrived to my location. Never seen them in NE or KS. I value hunting too much to break the rules. Can’t risk loosing the freedom to do what I cherish.
How often do you encounter the law?
- Thread starter gimruis
- Start date
Goosemaster
Well-known member
One thing that really irritates me, is the fact that they let hard core poachers off without a huge fine, and big jail time.They are too lenient usually.
My group got checked by a pair of game wardens in South Dakota a couple of years ago. They were waiting on us where we’d parked our pickups. They checked to be sure everyone had the correct license and habitat stamp, and that was it. They didn’t even check the birds we had.
One year in the Texas panhandle, I was pheasant hunting with a big group. Two game wardens rolled up on us at the end of opening day and checked everyone in the group for licenses, but didn’t even ask about or check our birds. The next year, I was with the same big group and a game warden found us at the end of our first big push on opening morning. He was not nearly as laid back as the two wardens were the previous year. He checked everyone for licenses and birds. I had two roosters in my vest, which he had me remove from the vest, then proceeded to frisk me to see if I had any other birds on me, which I didn’t.
On the second occasion, there was a father and son hunting with the group, and they’d recently moved to Amarillo, Texas, from Arkansas. The young man was in 6th grade, and a really nice kid. Being a retired school administrator and teacher, I had visited with the father and son early that morning during the safety meeting. The young man was VERY excited to be on his first pheasant hunt. When the game warden got to them, the son didn’t have a hunting license. The father claimed he didn’t know the son had to have one due to his age. The game warden, who had been being a hardass, told the father to go right then and take his son to town and get him a license. They then went to Walmart, about 15 miles away, and got the son a license. The game warden could’ve written them a ticket, but didn’t, and I really admired him for not doing so. Instead, the lesson was taught that everyone had to have a license, which I’m sure the father/son haven’t forgotten. I thought that was a pretty good move by the warden. The father/son rejoined the group after lunch, and the son killed his first rooster over one of my dogs later that day, which was a big deal for the father, the son, and for me too.
One year in the Texas panhandle, I was pheasant hunting with a big group. Two game wardens rolled up on us at the end of opening day and checked everyone in the group for licenses, but didn’t even ask about or check our birds. The next year, I was with the same big group and a game warden found us at the end of our first big push on opening morning. He was not nearly as laid back as the two wardens were the previous year. He checked everyone for licenses and birds. I had two roosters in my vest, which he had me remove from the vest, then proceeded to frisk me to see if I had any other birds on me, which I didn’t.
On the second occasion, there was a father and son hunting with the group, and they’d recently moved to Amarillo, Texas, from Arkansas. The young man was in 6th grade, and a really nice kid. Being a retired school administrator and teacher, I had visited with the father and son early that morning during the safety meeting. The young man was VERY excited to be on his first pheasant hunt. When the game warden got to them, the son didn’t have a hunting license. The father claimed he didn’t know the son had to have one due to his age. The game warden, who had been being a hardass, told the father to go right then and take his son to town and get him a license. They then went to Walmart, about 15 miles away, and got the son a license. The game warden could’ve written them a ticket, but didn’t, and I really admired him for not doing so. Instead, the lesson was taught that everyone had to have a license, which I’m sure the father/son haven’t forgotten. I thought that was a pretty good move by the warden. The father/son rejoined the group after lunch, and the son killed his first rooster over one of my dogs later that day, which was a big deal for the father, the son, and for me too.
Quailnerd
Well-known member
I’ve got a really cool story about a New Mexico game warden that saved me an insurance claim and wrote a ranch hand a ticket for hunter harassment. There is a ranch I hunt a few times a year with a huge block of state land intertwined within, totally legal if entered off the correct road. I parked and walk off out of sight of the truck for a couple hours and when I returned a game warden was parked beside me waving his cowboy hat and chasing some cows away from my truck. Apparently after I left the ranch hand dumped a bunch of cow cubes in a circle around my truck and I’m sure everyone knows that causes a stampede straight to the source. The officer was on a hillside actually watching me as I entered the property and then witnessed what had been done. He was in the right place at the right time for my sake.
Been bird hunting for 40 years now and the last 20 years for at least 75-80 days a season and I’ve been checked by dnr 4 times by local sheriffs 1 time. I don’t mind being checked every encounter I’ve had has been positive and mostly officers that have checked have been bird hunter’s also. Still have a great friendship with a federal warden who checked me in Oklahoma mallard hunting.
remy3424
Well-known member
75-80 days hunting each season, I am jealous, but I am not sure I could do that. Even just 2 birds per day, that is 150 roosters, Even if you give half of them away, you must really really like eating them (or your hunts/area aren't overly productive), I don't shoot half that number (150) and I have to eat so many during the season, I quit for a few months after the season ends. I still have a couple to eat before the new ones get stacking-up! Don't get me wrong, I like eating them, but eating a couple everyday or 2 can really change my appetite for them as the season goes on.
Wind River
Well-known member
Phez bacon, phez sticks, phez breakfast links, phez country ring bologna, phez brats, phez hot dogs, c’mon man get creative.
KEOutdoors
Well-known member
You need a meat grinder. I invested in one a few years back and quickly learned just about everything makes great sausage. Just had dove sausage pizza for dinner, some of the best Italian sausage ive had. When i get close to a possession limit of something, half of it goes through the grinder into sausages of some type. Once you make seasoned ground meat its no longer considered for possession limit because its prepared for human consumption.
Breakfast sausage
Italian sausage
Burger meat
Brats
Summer sausage
Meat sticks
Chili meat
The list can go on forever, and it all gets used in the end!
Wind River
Well-known member
Where are we all going to meet for the phez feed and micro brew tasting??
Kismet
UPH Guru
That, GM, is a political and/or bureaucratic issue. I've know wardens working days and nights in a row waiting for an "annual" poaching of the deer party by a wealthy family, who run deer with pickups on their property with rifles. The fines are not set by the enforcement officers, but most often by politically appointed friends of donors.
I admit that I LIKE laws, equitably enforced. Same rules for everybody works just fine for me.
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remy3424
Well-known member
I would be interested in your "breakfast sausage" recipe, if you have it.
KEOutdoors
Well-known member
Sure thing!
70% lean meat 30% fat
2lbs of total meat
1/2 TBS brown sugar
2 tsp dried sage
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp red pepper flake
1/8 tsp ground clove
I add the seasonings minus the sugar to a spice grinder and grind fine for better distribution, but it's not necessary. This recipe is a bit sweet, if you dont like sweet sausage then cut down or even remove the sugar. Add seasoning mixture after grinding, mix well, then place in zip lock bag in refrigerator for 24 hrs before using or freezing in portions.
For fat you can either ask at a butcher shop or meat counter for pork trimming fat (its super cheap) or you can use super cheap fatty bacon which adds a nice smoke flavor. I do the bacon trick often.
Alternatively, LEM makes great breakfast sausage seasoning in a few flavors also! I love their maple but again its really sweet.
Goosemaster
Well-known member
They should throw the book at some of these guys.They try to be nice by not writing tickets. A lot of times they will bust some poacher on a minor violation, and not realize these guys are big time poachers that should be jailed. So they write a 75 dollar ticket, and let the guy go.
Bob Peters
Well-known member
⁸
I think it's been getting better. In MN, concerning fish overharvest, I know they have changed the laws to increase penalties for gross overharvest. But I do agree with you goose.
Goosemaster
Well-known member
I don't really care about fishing, but I do care about hunting. There are lots of poachers in Montana that need to be fined and jailed.If you see something, call it in immediately. Let's take some of this scum off the streets!
gimruis
Well-known member
The issue with penalties for breaking fish and game laws is pretty minimal, unless you are a repeat violator and/or the rules have been egregiously broken. And even then it can be tough to prove it because you need evidence to do that.
The one thing they have really been cracking down on here in recent years is using bait for deer hunting. They have a zero tolerance for it now, even on the first offense which can include up to seizure of a weapon and/or loss of hunting privileges. But, people still do it. Losing a $1500 rifle or my hunting privileges for a year with just the first offense I would hope is at least making someone think twice about doing it.
The one thing they have really been cracking down on here in recent years is using bait for deer hunting. They have a zero tolerance for it now, even on the first offense which can include up to seizure of a weapon and/or loss of hunting privileges. But, people still do it. Losing a $1500 rifle or my hunting privileges for a year with just the first offense I would hope is at least making someone think twice about doing it.
kick them up
Active member
Had a GW in KS check me at my gate one evening after calling his boss for not addressing trespassers that were on my cell cameras. He knew good and well I had a license and tags. Now check me every time we see each other.
LOL. I hunt pheasants very sparingly(as in when my big running pointing dogs handle them right) I start in September in Wyoming,Montana and North Dakota end in Texas, North Carolina and Georgia in February. I love the meat but do it for the 6 dogs. The meat is typically family style dining and bird donations to land owners.
Goosemaster
Well-known member
I'm montana fwp would spend more time trying to catch poachers, as they do with those stupid boat check stations,that would help!!
remy3424
Well-known member
I can't remember that last time a landowner took a bird and I have all but stopped offering to others, as I think few of them actually ate them. I am going to try that breakfast sausage KEO posted. Still jealous of the time you spend catching tailfeathers! I have one dog and I am not sure what I would need a second one for. I really can't image managing 6 dogs. I only get out the weekends and most of the holidays during the season here in Iowa, but limit most outings by noon, so even hunting maybe 24 days, those birds add-up for me to stay ahead of!