Busted by the DFG

[IndigoBlue]

Just a note of appreciation for the DFG. There are a lot of people who dont respect our resources even with them on patrol. Without them there would not be a lobster or abalone on the North Coast of California. They regularly bust people taking obscene amounts of illegal game for profit. If that infringes on my liberty a bit Im not too upset. We have had them ask to look through our gear up in Mendocino County. I always thank them for their important work.

I appreciate the game wardens as well. All of my experiences with them have been good. Of course I always try to dot all my I's and cross all of my T's so that if I get stopped, there are no violations.

Once several years ago I was solo hunting with my jeep way up in the mountains, on a steep trail where only my jeep could go. I was mostly scouting for tracks, to set up for a dusk hunt and then camp out overnight til dawn.

Out of the blue, a game warden walked up to my jeep, while I was having lunch under a tree. We had a friendly chat and talked about where all the buck deer could be hiding, and then he asked permission to inspect my rifle in my jeep. I smiled and told him it was fine for him to do so, just go ahead and take it out of the jeep and look at it, that it was unloaded, and that I always keep 3 bullets in my shirt pocket in case I need them.

He did the drill, and then he came back and shook my hand and thanked me for obeying the local hunting laws, which some hunters considered unreasonable, but which it was his job to enforce. I told him I had no problem with the state's hunting laws, and that I believed the laws promoted gun safety as well as protected the precious game animals, that we all enjoy seeing and hunting for.

I sold all of my hunting gear to afford tech scuba gear. So I do not hunt anymore, other than for shipwrecks.

 

[Ontario Diver]

Well guys, if you don't like this story - don't hunt illegally up here.

First of all, Game Wardens can search any vehicle at will as long as they can say that they have a belief that it is or could be engaged in the taking of game. No warrant or permission is required (but they always ask because us Canadians are so polite...)

If they find something they can warn you, fine you, or fine + jail + confiscate the hunting/fishing equipment (which can include the trailer, the truck that pulled the trailer etc....)

Oh yeah and our gun laws are much stiffer so if your employee shoots himself with your pistol - you will get charged with a minimum of failure to properly store/handle. Don't even ask what happens when a Game Warden finds you hunting with an illegal firearm.

At least our GWs aren't armed....

(I have to say that I've met many a warden in the back bush. After they've checked me out, they have almost always sat down for a coffee and been great guys.)

BTW before you can hunt in Ontario you need both a Firearms Acquisition cert and a Hunter Safety card - all the regs are covered in the courses.

Lastly, the first set of conservation laws in Ontario were passed primarily because of lobbying by the Ontario Federation of Hunters and Fishermen.

And they work...

 

[RebreatherBoy]

Because there are alot of people driving while drunk Saturday evening, is it likewise reasonable to conclude that since you are out driving on a Saturday evening, that people can conclude that you should be pulled over and searched by virtue of driving a car and on a Satruday evening?

Lots of people have goody bags for putting shells in and such, possession of such does not mean you are taking game anymore that posession and use of a closed circuit rebreather means it is reasonable to conclude you may be planning to blow up merchant ships of the infidels with your Al Qaeda comrades.

I disagree that capturing and eating animals is a privilege, not a right. It is right and a duty to either do so yourself or be a mercenary and pay other people to kill animals for you and sell you the flesh so you can eat it.

 

[ckharlan66]

Because there are alot of people driving while drunk Saturday evening, is it likewise reasonable to conclude that since you are out driving on a Saturday evening, that people can conclude that you should be pulled over and searched by virtue of driving a car and on a Satruday evening?

Yep, they call them checkpoints and they set them up around the holidays and on the weekends at random locations around town. It amounts to a road block that they say hello to everyone that passes through to see if they smell alcohol. And the Courts have deemed that if you turn around the avoid it that you are acting in a suspect way and are subject to search.

They check for seatbelts and child safetyseats during these too.


Chad

 

[Cave Diver]

Because there are alot of people driving while drunk Saturday evening, is it likewise reasonable to conclude that since you are out driving on a Saturday evening, that people can conclude that you should be pulled over and searched by virtue of driving a car and on a Satruday evening?

Yep. Although I think "evening" is stretching it a bit. Most of the drunk driving occurs after the bars and clubs close, usually at 2 a.m. And believe me after that time, there are a lot of police on the highways watching for "infractions" to pull someone over to check. Most likely if you aren't drunk, and it was just a minor infraction, you will get a friendly warning and sent on your way. Been there, done that and it doesnt bother me a bit.

And as Chad mentioned, checkpoints are another common tactic that are used, especially over long holiday weekends.

 

[PhotoTJ]

Lots of people have goody bags for putting shells in and such, possession of such does not mean you are taking game anymore that posession and use of a closed circuit rebreather means it is reasonable to conclude you may be planning to blow up merchant ships of the infidels with your Al Qaeda comrades.

I disagree that capturing and eating animals is a privilege, not a right. It is right and a duty to either do so yourself or be a mercenary and pay other people to kill animals for you and sell you the flesh so you can eat it.

Nice troll. People that look for trouble usually find it.

 

[jjgibo]

i don't know who rebreather boy is, but he makes me excited that i am going to law school. talk about kicking the crap out of someone in the courtroom, that is awesome. i would love to see that happen can someone video tape the trial. and i was bummed because law school was going to be in california and i am used to diving hawaii. ahhh this should be a fun adventure.

 

[scubasean]

i don't know who rebreather boy is, but he makes me excited that i am going to law school. talk about kicking the crap out of someone in the courtroom, that is awesome. i would love to see that happen can someone video tape the trial. and i was bummed because law school was going to be in california and i am used to diving hawaii. ahhh this should be a fun adventure.

Law is fun...What is your undergrad in?

 

[jjgibo]

i am doing my undergrad in marketing. i've worked as a salesman mostly and currently am working as the office manager to a state representative. I am graduating this summer and we plan to have a big dive blow out to celebrate so if any of you are in hawaii during the summer!!

 

[DivePartner1]

talk about kicking the crap out of someone in the courtroom, that is awesome.

Well, the only crap kicking I've seen in courthouses came at probation revocation hearings. Convicted know-it-alls and jail house lawyers are brought before the judge to explain why they STILL haven't paid their victim's medical bills or whatever other strings were attached to their avoidance of jail time. After hearing their consistently unconvincing explanations, they are invariably enraged that the judge immediately executes the sentence of jail time that they could have easily avoided. About one in 5 gets dragged out by the Sheriff's deputies kicking and screaming. Good theater, really, but I do feel for the deputies.

Legal work and trial practice is only sexy if you enjoy spending large blocks of days and weekends in libraries. Also, before making the leap to law school keep in mind what lawyers do: deal with problems of others that are too annoying or grotesque for them to deal with themselves.

That being said, it can be fun. Especially the winning-in-court part, when it happens (and if you're any good you'll also lose because you'll take hard cases too: no credible lawyer wins them all).